


It Started With A Lie

by leagueoffish, neolithics



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Boss/Employee Relationship, M/M, Undecided Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-13 15:40:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4527768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leagueoffish/pseuds/leagueoffish, https://archiveofourown.org/users/neolithics/pseuds/neolithics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Siwon was a CEO-to-be, and he was a marriage away from inheriting his dream company. Luckily, he had Donghae as his fiancee. At least that's what they led everyone to believe. </p><p>A SiHae fic inspired by the movie "The Proposal".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is purely fiction. Some or most of the characters may be out of character as we are still unfamiliar with their personalities. Also, this is loosely based on Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds' The Proposal. Enjoy! :-)
> 
> \- leagueoffish and neolithics, 08/08/2015

"I’m late, I’m late,  _I’m late_ —"

Donghae groaned at the strain of running up six flights of stairs two steps at a time, but his panic outweighed the crippling burn in his legs. 

It was one of those mornings when fate decided that he, Lee Donghae, was that day’s butt of all jokes. He woke up feeling like he had been run over by a freight train, his head pulsing with a slow hangover from what he then realized was a sly, fruity cocktail, a Strawberry Mojako or whatever the name of it was. (That Shindong, he was a dead man walking—) With a grumpy grumble, he was about to pull the covers over himself when the red glare of his alarm clock bluntly notified him it was the very late hour of five to eight. That shocked the alcohol out of his system and made him jump out of bed.  

The rest of his morning played out like a skit in SNL—hot shower not working, missing his bus by seconds, smacking his forehead on the clear glass panel doors—a textbook case of unlucky. The lone, bright spot of his morning was chatting up the bartender to jump the line in the coffee shop near the office, where he picked up his boss’ daily dose of hot Americano. Donghae was frankly amazed he had made it to his office building in one piece.

Donghae's knees were shaking by the time he reached the seventh landing. He pushed open the fire exit doors, his eyes watering slightly at the sleek, fluorescent glow of the glossy-tiled office of SM Publishers, Inc. He tapped his ID on the scanner by the door, and sighed in relief as it registered a nail-biting finish at 8:59AM. 

"Hiiiiiii-ya," he groaned tiredly at Ryeowook, SM's receptionist. 

"Morning, Donghae-hyung," Ryeowook smiled. "Last night must have been some party, huh? You’re unusually late!"

"Yeah, big thanks to Shindong-hyung," Donghae replied darkly. Ryeowook’s sweet laughter trailed behind him as he rounded the corner to his cubicle at the far end of the office. He almost wept with joy at the sight of his desk, then with pain at the bright sheen of Sungmin’s pink-furnished cubicle beside his. 

He was just a few more steps away from his desk when Shindong came barreling in, causing Donghae to spill one of the cups he was holding.

If Donghae swore, he would've exploded into a million expletives.  _This day seriously couldn't get any better_ , he thought grimly. He checked which drink was spilled, and groaned. No surprise there; it wasn't his that did, but his boss' Americano.

"Just the man, I was looking for! How was your night, Donghae-ah?" Shindong smirked.

"Best night and worst morning ever." Donghae muttered. He picked at his sticky, ruined shirt with a grimace. “Make that  _super_  worst morning ever. Thanks, hyung.”

"Hahaha, but totally worth it, right? You looked like you were having a blast when you were dancing on stage last night. Wicked moves, man! Ey, what happened to you?" Shindong pointed innocently at the huge stain on his polo.

Donghae sighed. "You did, hyung," he said wearily. He whisked off to his cubicle without saying goodbye, pointedly ignoring Shindong as he stupidly asked, “Huh? What’s eating him?”

It was a good thing he always had a set of extra clothes for the all-nighters they had to render on d-days. He grabbed a fresh polo from his drawer and hurried into the nearby restroom. He winced as he caught sight of his forehead, the spot where he smacked it now a stark red patch on his pale skin. He pulled on the fresh polo, patted down a stray tuft of hair, put on a bright, toothy smile, and returned to his cubicle pretending as if he wasn't having a bad day. 

He spotted Sungmin walking back to his desk, a sheaf of papers in hand. "There you are, Donghae-ah!' Sungmin chirped. 'Congratulations. You made it!" 

"I made it," Donghae huffed with disbelief.

"You made it," said a low voice by Donghae’s shoulder. "But just about."

Donghae’s gut plummeted at the confirmatory look of terror on Sungmin’s face. Of course. The one man he hoped not to see in his panicked, harried and almost-late state, just had to be right behind him.

Donghae turned around, faking calm the best he could. "Good morning, Siwon-sshi," he bowed. "Sorry, I swear I’m early on most days—"

Choi Siwon waved a hand. "I know. You’re always one of the first ones in." His eyes flickered up. "Your forehead’s red."

"Oh, um…" Donghae rubbed at his forehead consciously. "I—I sort of bumped into the glass door downstairs."

"I see," said Siwon, clucking his tongue. His face was unreadable as he scrutinized Donghae intently from head to toe. Donghae swallowed thickly, and prayed the warm burn in his neck and ears didn’t bleed onto his face. 

Without warning, Siwon suddenly reached out for Donghae’s hair, smoothing a warm palm against his scalp. Siwon's hands moved to his neck, fiddling with and straightening out his collar that had apparently rolled up. Donghae couldn’t stop his eyes, however, from roving towards Siwon’s lips, which the man was worrying in concentration.

Finally, he let Donghae go, his face lit up with a bright, dimpled smile. "There," Siwon nodded, his obssessive-compulsiveness satisfied. The smile faltered when he looked up at Donghae’s face, which surely looked either stiff, horrified or turned-on—perhaps a weird mix of the three. 

As if coming to his senses, Siwon ducked his head and coughed. "Your hair was sticking out," he explained.

"Oh," said Donghae, quite unintelligently.

"And your collar was all wri… ah, nevermind." He gently tapped Donghae's bruised forehead. "Take care of yourself better, OK? Drop by the office when you’re settled."

And just like that, Mr.  _Sexy, Free and Single_  glided out of their cubicle, leaving a stunned Donghae gaping after him like a goldfish.

"--hae-sshi!  _Donghae-shiii!"_  Sungmin called out. 'Man, snap out of it!'

"Oh. Right." Donghae quickly grabbed his notebook, then remembered he had to give Siwon his daily morning coffee. He glared at Siwon’s now empty cup, and with a defeated sigh, picked up his own to give to his boss.

The Executive Director’s office was a glass-paneled room overlooking the Gangnam district. It was stylishly minimalist, the soft light from the tinted windows and the expanse of glass and pearl-coloured flooring adding to the illusion of width and space. Several ebony cabinets lined the wall, most of which contained shelves of books, save for a two-door cabinet where Siwon kept several suits and pairs of polished shoes. Siwon's secretary had these suits dry-cleaned and pressed every Monday for his evening appointments and press events. (Sungmin joked there was probably a switch in that cabinet that opened a secret panel containing a little minibar of bourbons and martinis. It wouldn’t surprise him, to be honest.) A herd of black horse statuettes adorned the topmost shelf, galloping towards the wide, curved ebony desk in the middle. The desk, too, was as meticulously bare as the rest of the room, containing just a standard office phone, a black Mac Air, and a picture frame containing a regal photo of the famous Choi family in their Korea Business Herald best.

And behind the desk was Executive Director Choi Siwon himself, invisible behind a newspaper. He was unnervingly quiet save for the turn of a page, like a lion lounging in its den.

With a deep breath, Donghae gently rapped on the door. "Boss, I brought your coffee," he said.

"Oh, good timing," Siwon mumbled, nose buried in the business pages.

Donghae approached the desk carefully, the unscathed Americano cupped in his hands like some precious treasure. He set the coffee down by Siwon's right as quietly as possible.

"So, Donghae-sshi," began Siwon, as he folded the papers neatly and set them aside. He pulled out his smartphone and flicked through his calendar. "I need you to come with me next Friday to the Seoul Fashion Week press conference."

Donghae froze. "Next Friday’s conference, boss?"

"The 28th, yes." Siwon scratched his cheek. "I need a senior writer on the ground, but Yunho-sshi will be out-of-town for another event. I read your feature on Style Week last year, and you seem to be quite proficient on the subject..."

But Donghae had tuned Siwon out. His head was racing with panic and nerves. 

It was  _halbae's_ 78th birthday next Friday. 

Donghae had called in early that week to beg off the party and save up on vacation leaves, but Henry had sighed at him over the phone, and said, "Grandpa will not be happy." The image of his grandfather’s eyes crinkled with sadness kept him up that night. 

"I suppose I don't need to stress upon you that this is a  _major_ event. The kind that can make or break a reporter's career.' Siwon sat back and steepled his fingers together. 'The industry expects top-notch coverage from a premier magazine such as as ours.  _I_ can expect that from you, of course, Donghae-sshi? Yunho always speaks highly of you, after all."

"O-of course, boss." Donghae breathed deeply. "But, um, you see... my, uh..."

Siwon frowned, and what little courage Donghae had shrunk further. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, uh, my grandfather. He's turning 78 next Friday, and I was hoping to go home to Mokpo. My hometown. Yunho's too, actually."  _Stop blabbering like an idiot!_ he thought desperately.

"Ah. I see." Siwon's tight-lipped pout told Donghae that his boss doesn't see the point at all. "I'll leave your leave approval to Yunho's discretion. But this  _is_ a very rare opportunity, Donghae-sshi." Siwon shrugged. "I would hate for you to miss it."

Choi Siwon's leadership of SM Publishers' Devil magazine had been described as 'charming' (Sungmin), 'no-nonsense' (Ryeowook) and 'flat-out ruthless' (Shindong). Donghae wholeheartedly agreed with the first two. He was just now beginning to see the streaks of flat-out ruthless, and then, as Siwon tilted his head in a mocking 'Are you seriously having second thoughts about a golden, once-in-a-career shot at a promotion?', a dash of manipulative.

"I suppose I can pay him a visit the weekend after," Donghae said weakly.

Siwon grinned. "Great! I'm sure your grandfather will understand. I'll get in touch about the tickets soon, okay?"

"Okay, boss," Donghae bowed.  _I'm a useless, spineless failure of a grandchild, halbae,_ he thought miserably. 

"Oh, and one more thing, Donghae-sshi," said Siwon. Donghae steeled himself for more work. "Do you also drink Americano?"

The odd question caught Donghae off-guard. He gave his boss a curious glance before saying a soft, "Yes...?"

"Hm. Must be some barista you've got there," Siwon smirked, and turned the cup. Donghae's face turned beet red at the sight of the barista's loopy handwriting.

 

_Donghae-sshi,_

_Hope you enjoy your coffee! Have a cup with me sometime? :) XXX-XXX-XXX_

_\- Yesung_

 

"I, uh…" Donghae trailed off as Siwon raised both eyebrows expectantly. "Earlier, I—"

The pair jumped at the sound of Line's iconic ringtone. Siwon glanced at the caller display on the screen and frowned. "Unusual for him to call this time of day," he muttered. He pointed the phone at Donghae. "Get me a new cup, please. And, though your private life is none of my business, I strongly suggest you don’t call that coffee guy," he said sternly.

Donghae hurriedly retrieved the cup, muttering 'sorry, sorry, sorry' with brisk, panicked bows. Siwon, however, only waved him off, his attention shifting completely to his call. "Hey. Yeah, I’m at the office. What?  _Right now?"_  

Donghae closed the door behind him as the phone call intensified ("The old man gets a status report every week!"). He sagged back against the wall, his mind racing with the lame excuses he had to make for missing out on his grandfather's party. He was sure none of them were good enough, especially for the likes of his bullshit-detector older brother Heechul. 

He was ticking off the more obvious excuses (can't get a ticket, lost my wallet) when the door swung open. Siwon peeked out of his office, and clucked his tongue at the empty secretary's desk. "Sooyoung-sshi still not in yet?" He groused. He startled when he spotted Donghae folded against the wall, looking exactly like a cornered cat shrunk to its haunches. "Oh, Donghae-sshi! I didn't notice you were still outside."

"I was just about to..." and he made a vague, waving gesture with his hand. He really, truly wasn't sure what to do anymore.

But Siwon, like always, was full of purpose. "You'll do, I guess," he murmured, and placed a hand on Donghae's shoulder. "I need you to do something for me. The President has called me up for a very important meeting." Donghae noted a slight twitch of the eyebrow. "But I want you to come up after thirty minutes, and remind me that our team has an important meeting with an agency at eleven."

Donghae's mind raced through his day's calendar. "We have a meeting?" he asked.

"No, no!" Siwon was becoming increasingly agitated, but something pitiful on Donghae's face made him rein it in. "I need you to  _pretend_ . Can you do that?"

"...Alright," Donghae said nervously. "As long as it doesn't get me fired, I guess."

Siwon clapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, they'll need my endorsement for that."

Donghae's gut churned. He felt then, with inexplicable certainty, that the worst of the day was yet to come.

 

* * *

 

Donghae paced nervously as he dialed one of his brothers.

"Hey hyung!" Henry, the youngest in the family, picked up.

"Hey, Henry-ah." Donghae's heart lightened at the sound of his brother's voice. "I have bad news. I don't think I'll make it to halbae's birthday this weekend."

"Eh? But hyung, you haven't been home in three months! And you _never_ miss halbae's birthday!"

"I know." Donghae sighed, "But my boss is making me come with him to some event, and I might actually get this promotion if I do so. I promise I'll make it up to you guys. Maybe I can take the next weekend off."

Donghae looked at his watch, and jumped when he realized the thirty minute mark has long been over. After the morning's coffee mix-up, Siwon might strangle him for forgetting to save him from his father's long pep talks 'that take an inefficient forever.'

"Hey Henry-ah, I need to go now. Please tell omma I'll call her soon."

"Okay, hyung. I'll try to tell them. But don't be surprised if Heechul-hyung or Teukkie-hyung calls you. Take care now." Henry replied.

"You too. Bye." Donghae answered before finally dropping the call.

 

* * *

 

Siwon entered the lavish office of his father and sat himself on one of the comfortable sofas. He knew his father will likely drag the conversation, whatever this surprise meeting is about. Best to make it relaxing as possible. 

As far as Siwon was concerned, he got all the major events until October listed and partially prepared for, so he shouldn't have missed anything work related. If it's about 'the big one',  _the_ press conference for the upcoming fashion week, he already informed Donghae they will be attending. 

" _Lee Donghae_ ", Siwon mumbled to himself. Lee Donghae was a bit of a floaty character--someone who never pays full attention, with a part of his mind always drifting. But the man's writing was something else--grounded. On point.  _Real_ . Granted, there were times when Donghae ran a sentence or a paragraph too long, or used one too many witticisms, but Siwon found little to complain about one of SM's most promising talents.  He was one of the rare few who can make drunken after-party conversations with models and celebrities remotely interesting. Siwon can't pay a higher compliment than that.

The door opened, and Siwon stood to respectful attention as the President of SM Publishers walked in. As his father made his way to the lone sofa at the corner, Zhou Mi, his father's secretary, came serving them hot cups of tea and some light snacks. Siwon thanked him as he left the room to give them some privacy.

"How are you doing, son?" Choi Kiho started as he sat himself comfortably in his chair.

Siwon raised one of his brows before answering, "Let's just get this over with, abeoji. I know you didn't call me here just to ask how I am. So why am I here?"

Kiho chuckled at his son before saying, "Well, as you may know, I am growing older, and I want to pass down the company to you."

Siwon gave a startled gasp. Although he had a slight idea that he will be handling SM Publishers, he didn't want to be presumptuous and assume he will be the boss one day.

"I have seen you handle your department, and I must say you are doing a splendid job with your team. However, I also want you to start your own family before I turn the company to you."

"Abeoji, I've told you a dozen times, I don't want to get married yet." Siwon sighed, as he tried to reason with his father.

"Well, obviously you can't get married when you're not in a relationship." Kiho replied.

A tense silence enveloped the room as father and son stared at each other. Siwon's mind was working on overdrive, thinking of ways to avert his non-existent relationship. He didn't think his father needed to know his nightly escapades, nor was he willing to start a so-called permanent relationship with anyone. Well, his father didn't need to know it wasn't permanent-- at least he had relationships of some sort.

"Abeoji, I'm actually seeing someone right now." Siwon said nervously. He can't believe he's actually  _lying_ about it.

His father raised a brow, not quite believing his son. But before Kiho could ask any more questions, someone rapped on the door. Zhou Mi entered. "Kyuhyun-sshi is waiting outside and is asking to join. Should I let him enter?"  Zhou Mi asked Kiho.

"Let him in," Kiho replied, before facing Siwon and saying, "that kid seriously has some sixth sense when it comes to you."

_Well, I hope not, or else I'm doomed._  Siwon groaned as his brat of a cousin entered the room.

"Sometimes I wonder if I am really Minho's older brother and not Kyu's," Siwon said.

Cho Kyuhyun grinned before plopping himself beside Siwon.  "So, what did I miss?"

"Your cousin being stubborn about marriage, as usual," Kiho said sternly. "Though he now claims there have been... developments."

"Developments?" Kyuhyun turned to Siwon. "You finally made an I-UM account?"

"Of course not! I don't need a dating app!"

"It might help you narrow down your search, hyung. It's more efficient than you going on so many dates." 

Siwon's ears reddened at the revelation. Kiho raised his eyebrows, looked his son in the eye and said, "Siwon says he has found someone."

"Oh really." Kyuhyun said, flatly. When father and son did not answer, his sarcasm turned to genuine curiosity. "Really?"

" _Yes_ ," Siwon gritted.

"It's not exactly marriage yet, but at least he's finally in a stable relationship," Kiho replied, as Kyuhyun stared at Siwon.

"Well? What's she like?" Kyuhyun asked, gauging Siwon's reaction.

Siwon was starting to squirm in his seat, but before he could come up with an excuse, they were once again interrupted by sharp knocks.

"Sorry to interrupt again, but Donghae-sshi said you have an important meeting, Siwon-sshi." Zhou Mi said.

God bless Donghae and his perfect timing. Siwon wanted to kiss him.

But before Siwon could excuse himself, Kyuhyun smirked at him and told Zhou Mi, "Tell Donghae-sshi to join us, this won't take long. Don't think you'll be escaping us, dearest cousin."   

_Cho Kyuhyun, you brat! Wait til you come visit Sungmin in my department_ . Siwon shouted in his head.

Donghae entered the office as slowly as possible. Even Siwon could tell he was extremely nervous, what with the way he shuffled near the door. Siwon felt a pang of guilt upon seeing the misery he was putting Donghae through.

"Mr. President. Boss." Donghae greeted meekly. His face lightened up upon seeing Kyuhyun. "Kyuhyun. Um, I think I'll... stay here." He took a few steps back to the wall, his body curved towards the alcove hidden behind Kiho's massive fortune plant.

"Don't worry, Hae-hyung. You're not in trouble. This won't take too long. Come sit beside me," Kyuhyun gave a small smile as he patted the empty space beside him.

Siwon raised one of his brows.  _When did Kyu and Donghae become so close that he even gets to call him hyung?_

Donghae made his way to Kyuhyun's side, but before he could even reach him, he felt himself being pulled towards the empty space beside Siwon. "You can sit here," Siwon said roughly. Donghae fought away the blush; he didn't think the president would appreciate it.

_Well well, that's unexpected. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Siwon-hyung was jealous._  Kyuhyun was mildly surprised at Siwon's reaction, but pushed the thoughts away. Now, he needed answers. And he knew Donghae was with Siwon half the time...

Change of tactics.

"So are you going to answer, Siwon-hyung? Or should I ask Hae-hyung?"

"M-me?" Donghae squeaked.

"Don't drag my subordinates into this," Siwon said, the threat coiling in his throat.

"Then man up, boss." Kyuhyun sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees.  _"Who is it?"_

Kiho silently sipped his tea. He knew Kyuhyun has a better chance of interrogating his son than he did. 

_Damnit!_ Siwon looked at his father, then at Kyuhyun, before finally looking at the very nervous Donghae. The poor guy had been frowning the moment he entered the office. His forehead was still a little pink, just a shade lighter than his cheeks...

And then Siwon realized something.

With a drawn out sigh, Siwon grabbed Donghae's hand before saying, "Actually, I'm with Donghae."

Kyuhyun's elbow slipped from his knee.

Kiho almost spat out the tea he was drinking. He stared dumbly between his son and this newcomer.

_Well, that shut them up for a change._  Siwon cackled to himself, waiting for any reaction.

Siwon held on to Donghae's hand as he felt the other protesting, trying to pull his hand free. Maybe run away. He faced him and softly whispered, "It's okay."

Donghae froze, reading Siwon's expression:  _Stay still or else_ .

Kyuhyun cleared his throat. "How long have you been together?"

"We were on and off, but we've been going steady for 3 months," said Siwon casually. "I'm actually meeting his family this weekend. It's  _halbae's_  birthday, right, Hae?"

Donghae simply nodded. His brain was struggling to catch up with the bizarre situation. (Siwon, he also realized, was a  _fantastic_  liar.)

Kyuhyun slumped into his seat. He knew Siwon wouldn't be willing to meet anyone's family unless he was serious about it. But he was still skeptical about the whole thing.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Siwon stood up with a smug grin. "Well if that's all, we'll be taking our leave," he said, pulling Donghae to his feet.  He didn't bother to let go of Donghae's hand as they rushed past the door--to keep the appearance that they were indeed boyfriends, Siwon reasoned to himself--but Donghae didn't seem to mind. Zhou Mi gave them and their linked hands an odd look as they passed his desk.

Kyuhyun was rubbing his nape as he stepped out of the office. "Kyuhyun-sshi, did something happen between Siwon-sshi and Donghae-sshi?" Zhou Mi whispered.

Kyuhyun only sighed, and watched the pair with a fair amount of suspicion. "To be honest, I'm not sure."

 

* * *

  

Donghae followed Siwon out of the president's office in a daze. He heard the whispers of his fellow editors and felt their stares as they passed the corridors, heading straight to Siwon's office. He only came to his senses after hearing the door close with a resounding click, indicating he was finally alone with his boss. Donghae still had some sense to pull his hand out of Siwon's grasp; this time, Siwon let him. 

"What was that?" Donghae breathed heavily. "Seriously.  _What on earth was that?"_

Siwon leant back against his desk, his arms folded. "I'll be honest with you, Donghae-sshi. That was me panicking. But I've got it under control, so you don't need to worry." He flashed a bright, reassuring grin, but Donghae was not fooled.

"Why did you tell them that we're--" and Donghae's flush deepened at the word--" _boyfriends?_ "

"Because that's what my father and Kyuhyun needed to hear." Siwon smiled grimly. "It's a... complicated family matter. And I'm sorry I got you involved. I truly am."

Donghae saw red. " _Sorry?_ " he repeated loudly. "My job, my  _reputation,_ is on the line here! 'Sorry, but it's OK' won't do! I need answers!"

The room was deathly still after Donghae's outburst. It took Donghae a few seconds to realize that he had just yelled at his boss--probably now ex-boss, after his shouting antics--but Siwon did not seem angry. In fact, he was sporting an expression that Donghae, in all his years of working with him, had never seen before.

Siwon looked utterly lost.

"Alright," he said, then looked at Donghae sharply. "If any part of this conversation gets out, then it  _is_  your job and reputation on the line."

Donghae shrugged. What was there left to lose, anyway? "Fair enough."

Siwon reached for his framed family photo, and fiddled with it quietly for a few minutes. "I love this company, Donghae-sshi. Even before my graduation I knew what I wanted to build here." He grinned wryly at Donghae. "We used to be a shit magazine, if you remember."

Donghae remembered Devil as a dirt rag of unfounded celebrity gossip and distasteful paparazzi pictures. He never would have thought of working for the magazine back then.

"A good magazine needs good information, good connections and good people," continued Siwon. "I leaned the industry's business model inside out. I maximized whatever connections I had. We revamped the organization from top-down and hired Yunho and Sungmin, who performed miracles. And the good people kept on coming."

"It took a lot of unglamourous work to get  _Devil_  here, but we made it to the top." Siwon's jaw clenched. "And I want to keep it there."

Despite his anger, Donghae felt a surge of newfound admiration for his boss. Siwon was a notorious workaholic, but Donghae thought it was simply who he was. The man, after all, had a passion for his work.

Siwon pushed himself off the desk. He looked out the window. "My father wants me to inherit SM Publishers, Donghae-sshi."

Donghae gasped. Everyone in the company had seen it coming, but not this soon. "That's... a good thing, right?"

Siwon raised an eyebrow at him. "It is a good thing for me. You're free to have a different opinion, of course."

Donghae waved his hands placatingly. "No, I-I mean, we knew this was going to happen, and I'm sure everyone will be happy, but I wasn't sure if you wanted--"

Siwon burst into laughter, and Donghae realized he was being played. He scowled.

"Sorry, you're always fun to tease," grinned Siwon. Then he added, more somberly, "I was ready to take over the company, whenever my father wanted me to. Until he set a condition."

He looked at Donghae straight in the eye, and said, "He wants me to marry someone first. And that's where you come in."

Donghae froze. "M-Marry?"

"That's the plan," Siwon nodded. "But I need to get to know you better, so your _halbae's_ birthday buys us some time."

_"Marry?!"_

"If I remember correctly, you live in South Jeolla." Siwon said, not paying the least attention to the nearly-hysterical Donghae. He pulled out his smartphone and keyed in Donghae's hometown. "Mokpo, right?"

_Of course you remember everything._ Donghae thought to himself as he glared at his boss.

"Hmm, should we take a night trip on Friday or do you prefer to wake up early on Saturday?" Siwon asked Donghae.

"Wait a minute. Why are  _we_  heading to Mokpo on Friday?!" Donghae barked, although mildly, as Siwon was still his boss.

"Isn't it your _halbae's_ birthday?" Siwon answered.

"Yes. But why are  _we_ heading there? I thought we were heading to a conference?" Donghae shot back.

"Change of plans. I'll ask Kyuhyun to cover for us. I'm sure he can manage. Don't you want to see your halbae?"

"Of course, but not with my boss! Which goes back to the question of why am I going with you?!"

"Donghae-sshi, if you want our relationship to work, I need to somehow meet your family." Siwon replied gently.

"When did I agree to this?!" Donghae grumbled, but before he could further argue, his phone started ringing.

Donghae stared at his phone as if it could blow up any second. Talk about the worst timing ever--his older brother's name flashed threateningly on the screen. He knew, though, that he'll be in bigger trouble if he ignored it.

"Go ahead and answer it." Siwon said, curious as to why Donghae looked as scared as he was a few minutes ago.

"I'll come back after this," Donghae replied, answering the call halfway towards the door. "Hey hyung."

"LEE DONGHAE! WHY DID HENRY TELL ME YOU WEREN'T COMING FOR HALBAE'S BIRTHDAY?!"

Donghae winced and pulled the phone away from his ear, but even at some distance, Donghae could still perfectly hear Heechul's furious screaming.

"HALBAE'S BIRTHDAY! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HE MISSES YOU?"

"THREE MONTHS! YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HOME FOR THREE MONTHS!"

Donghae sighed as his brother continued to scold him for missing the birthday party, but before he could attempt to explain himself again, someone snatched his mobile.

"Hi hyung, this is Donghae's boyfriend. We were having a little disagreement a while ago, but everything's fixed now. We'll definitely make it to _halbae's_ birthday this weekend."

Donghae, who was a head shorter than Siwon, tried to snatch back his mobile to no avail. He could see Siwon nodding and humming to himself as his hyung seemed to have finally calmed down, though he couldn't hear what they were talking about.

"Please don't be angry at Donghae anymore. Sorry for the misunderstanding, but promise we'll be there this weekend!" Siwon said as he ended the phone call.

 "That's that then." Siwon said, handing back Donghae's phone with a cheeky smile. "See you Friday, Donghae-sshi," he said, before closing his office doors.

_DARN IT!_  Donghae screamed to himself as he resigned to his fate. He was bringing Choi Siwon, Executive Director and CEO-to-be of SM Publishers, to Mokpo, and introduce him to his family. As his  _boyfriend_ .

God forbid the day he finally introduces his boss as his fiancee.


	2. Chapter 2

Late into the night, SM's magazine publishing department was still bustling with people, the sound of writers and editors clacking away on their keyboards and the printers working non-stop filling the room. Near the Executive Director's office, a number of the senior editors were in a heated discussion over the upcoming Fashion Week and how they should go about with the next issue of Devil. Everyone was in some form of stress, especially after learning that their boss will be away that week--a first in his whole career. Everyone was also half-excited, half-nervous to prove themselves.

Donghae was partly the reason for Siwon's first-in-a-career week-long getaway. The state of his nerves was definitely worse than the entire department combined.

He had tried talking to Siwon, but to no avail. The department was too busy preparing for the upcoming event, and Siwon was working the rest of the team overdrive as the deadlines loomed closer. In the end, they didn't even get to talk privately; in fact, Donghae hardly saw Siwon at all. 

And this was how Donghae was reduced to blankly staring at KORAIL's ticketing page, a week before the trip.

"I can't believe the boss let you go on leave  _exactly_  during Fashion Week," whined Sungmin beside him, startling Donghae out of his daze. "This is, like, blatant favoritism."

"Not exactly," said Donghae.  _It only took my dubious consent to a fake marriage proposal. No big deal._

"Actually, I can't believe the boss himself went on leave as well. The man has always been an absolute monster this time of year." Sungmin wrinkled his nose. "I mean, if he could lock all of us in here until Fashion Week is over, he would."

Donghae nodded solemnly. They had come close last year, when the entire editorial department pulled three consecutive all-nighters to meet Devil's Special Issue release for last year's Fashion Week. (Siwon, however, had generously treated them to a day off and a spa voucher afterwards, which slightly mollified them.)

"Tell you what though," said Sungmin, peeking left and right with mindful subtlety before leaning in. "Rumour has it that Siwon-sshi is on a trip with someone."

"Really?" said Donghae, a little too forcefully. He wasn't very good at feigning calm.

"Yeah. They say it's from someone within the company." Sungmin crossed his arms and leant against the wall of Donghae's cubicle, blocking escape. He looked at Donghae dead in the eye. "Someone within his team, in fact."

Donghae felt cold sweat run down his neck.

"There's not too many of us under Siwon-sshi," Sungmin continued, not looking away. "And I can only think of  _one_  person among us who he can possibly date."

Donghae forced an innnocent grin. "C-Can it be Sooyoung-sshi?" he said, but his grin faltered at the affronted and slightly hurt expression on Sungmin's face.

The tense moment was broken by several loud claps from the end of the room. Sooyoung's heels clacked loudly against the tiles as she waved at everyone with a sheaf of papers. "Settle down, settle down please," she said. "Siwon-sshi has an announcement to make."

"If we're pulling another three-nighter this year, I'm demanding a trip to Busan," groaned Shindong.

"That will not be necessary, Shindong-sshi." 

Siwon strode in, and the room immediately fell into a hush. Sooyoung bowed politely and stepped aside as Siwon took her place. Despite wearing a plain black dress shirt and a simple pair of jeans, his commanding aura made him look ten feet taller than everyone else. Donghae found it impossible to look away, even if it was stirring an uncomfortable flutter of nerves in his stomach.

"First off, thank you and congratulations on your hard work," Siwon began. "It is because of this team's collective efforts that Devil is now Korea's no. 1 entertainment magazine. And though we do suffer the occasional overtime every now and then--" Siwon raised an eyebrow at Shindong, who turned white as a sheet, "--I hope you all share my pride and fulfillment at building this company to what it is today."

Siwon caught Donghae's eye and smiled. "Knowing I have an excellent team to depend on, I can finally take some time off with my mind at ease." 

A loud, ecstatic whoop broke the silence. The entire department, Siwon included, broke into laughter.

"Sorry, but I'm not rid of easily," said Siwon with a cheeky grin.  "I'll still be keeping an ear out on all of you while on holiday."

"Always the worrywart," Sungmin muttered, which made Donghae giggle.

Sooyoung handed Siwon the sheaf of papers she had been holding. "Seoul Fashion Week is happening next week," Siwon continued. "As you all know, Kyuhyun will be in charge in my absence." 

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the announcement of who will be accompanying their temporary boss to the fashion event.

Siwon leafed through the papers and pulled a sheet out. "Alright, Sungmin-sshi, for purposes of getting the job done, I'm sending you with him," he sighed, looking at all the sample work in front of him.

Sungmin looked at Siwon as if he sent him to hell instead of a fashion event; he was actually trying to disappear under the table in the hopes of not getting chosen. Although he knew how important this opportunity was, he'd rather not take it in the face of working with Cho Kyuhyun, a strange rich kid who had taken a liking to him.

Siwon tried to look apologetic to Sungmin as he continued saying, "Changmin-sshi, since you also work closely with Yunho-sshi, please join them as well."

In contrast, Changmin hummed in excitement, happy to do field work with his best friend. Sungmin groaned and sank further into the table.

"And before anyone says anything about it, I'm only sending the two of them because I know they can do the job. Don't worry, the rest of you lot have something to work on as well," Siwon said, interrupting what sounded like disagreement from a couple of editors.

"I'm expecting results when I get back, or else some of you won't be writing for the next couple of months. Alright, you're all dismissed."

The crowd of editors headed back to their cubicles to either work on some articles or finally call it a day. Donghae was about to head over to the pantry when Siwon stopped him.

"Donghae-ah, don't forget to buy the train tickets, hmm? Here, you can use my credit card," Siwon said, handing Donghae his gold credit card.

Donghae tried to stop an incoming blush. Though Siwon was speaking in hushed tones, Donghae was hyper-aware of the curious stares and judging looks of some of the senior editors who have yet to exit the room. (Donghae spotted Sungmin over Siwon's shoulder. Sungmin glared and mouthed  _I blame you!_  before sulking away.) He couldn't even bring himself to protest, not when everyone was there watching his every move. He could merely glare at his boss as he took the credit card.

_Damnit, he looks adorable when he's angry,_  Siwon thought, as he gave a small smile to the retreating editor.

 

* * *

 

The whole week went by quickly. With the stress of preparing for Fashion Week, Donghae never got the chance to talk to Siwon about their predicament. As the week drew to a close, it dawned on Donghae that there won't be anyone to save him from spending halbae's birthday week with his boss. He had to pull himself together.

Donghae arrived early at the station, donned in a simple grey shirt, ripped jeans, and his favorite pair of Chucks. (It was the most difficult casual outfit he ever had to decide on in his life; Heechul was fuming the third night he called to ask for his opinion. "I don't care if you come naked, just bring yourself and Siwon here!" he had screamed.) Donghae booked a morning trip, and as expected, the station was already busy with waiting passengers. 

While waiting for Siwon, Donghae opted to head to the nearest coffee shop and write some short narratives on his journal. He was so immersed in his writing that he didn't notice how much time had passed until someone tapped his shoulder. Donghae came face to face with Siwon, preppily dressed in white shorts and a checkered polo.

"S-Siwon-sshi, you're here!" Donghae gasped.

Siwon merely waved his hand and sat on the vacant seat in front of Donghae. "I knew you'd be coming early, so I decided to head straight here. You were hunched over your book over there. I don't think you noticed my messages until I tapped you on the shoulder."

Donghae tried to subtly insert his journal into his duffel bag. "S-sorry," he replied, blushing for the nth time. 

Siwon chuckled, resisting the urge to ruffle Donghae's hair as he asked, "So. What's the plan?"

"Oh!" Donghae searched for the printed copy of their tickets. He glanced at his watch and realized it was almost time for their departure. "We should probably head to the platform, Siwon-sshi." he said. "Would you like to buy anything else?"

Siwon shook his head as they made their way out of the coffee shop and onto the busy platforms.

"I took the liberty of booking an entire compartment to ourselves." Donghae said, turning around to hand over Siwon's gold credit card.

"Hmm...alright. I suppose we can discuss our arrangement there," 

Donghae craned his neck over the thick throng of passengers, his eyes scanning the station for their platform. He stood on tiptoe to get a better view, but was immediately outbalanced when a rowdy group of teenagers bumped against his shoulder. Siwon caught him by his elbow. 

" _This_  is why I hate public transportation," Siwon muttered. The teenagers' laughter died down at Siwon's sharp gaze.

"It's alright, Siwon-sshi," Donghae said sheepishly, patting his irate boss by the arm. He sighed in relief when he finally spotted a sign with directions to their platform. "Come on. This way."

It was easy enough once they found their platform, entered the train and located their seats. The compartment was wide enough to fit more than two, but Donghae knew his boss didn't want the attention of people recognizing him (not that anyone would, in such a small town like Mokpo, but just to be sure.) If he could endure the three and a half hour ride from Seoul to Mokpo, then the week with Siwon should go without hitches.

Donghae sat across from Siwon, hands close-fisted on his lap. He resisted the urge to tap his feet as he tried to control the panic of being left alone with the boss. It took several minutes of silence as Siwon settled himself and his belongings for the trip before he finally noticed Donghae's stiff position.

Siwon chuckled before saying, "Well, we're fooling no one if you act like I'm about to eat you any minute, Donghae-ah."

"S-sorry, Siwon-sshi." Donghae said, as he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible.

"One more thing, you should drop the sshi."

Donghae merely nodded. He didn't trust himself to call his boss by his given name just yet.

"I can get used to just calling you Donghae-ah," said Siwon, grinning." Unless you want a pet name,  _jagi-ya_ ?"

"No!" Donghae said hastily, his cheeks coloring. "Just Donghae, please. Donghae is fine."

Siwon laughed. "If you say so." While Siwon rummaged around his bag, they heard the loud blare of the train horn, signalling the start of their journey. Both were distracted as they looked out the window, the platform slowly blurring as the train picked up speed.

Donghae was startled out of his thoughts as Siwon opened the folded table and laid out several printed documents and a blank paper, where he wrote " _ TERMS OF AGREEMENT" _ in his pretty, cursive penmanship (not that Donghae would ever admit that out loud).

Siwon gave a small, encouraging smile when he saw Donghae fidgeting. "Donghae-ah, it's an open discussion," he said. "Please feel free to tell me anything. I promise I'll take care of it, as long as you do this for me."

"Alright," said Donghae uneasily.

Siwon straightened up, business-like. "Well, first things first. In terms of length, we will be married for five years, then we can get divorced. I will pay for all the expenses and you can do anything you want, provided we will be living together during our marriage."

"Hang on. We have to pretend for  _five years_ ?" Donghae said weakly.

Siwon's chest twitched at the disbelief on Donghae's face. He forced a smile. "That's stretching it, huh?"

"A little," Donghae admitted. "I mean, I'm bad enough at relationships as it is, let alone pretend ones..."

"How about two years?" said Siwon. "That should be enough time to settle things with my father."

Donghae considered the offer. "Is there anything I'm not allowed to do?"

It was the tricky question that Siwon was dreading. He twirled the pen around his fingers. "I will not risk any of our families knowing this is a fake marriage, so there will be no other relationships," he said softly. "It will be the same with me."

"For two years."

"I'm sorry, Donghae-ah." And Siwon meant it. "I'd rather not gamble on one of us getting caught having an affair. That doesn't mean you have to cut off your connections, of course, but you have to be a little more careful. You know how the paparazzis are." 

After a tense pause, Donghae finally nodded. "I understand."

Siwon smiled hesitantly. "Can you go without any relationships in two years time?"

"I think so. I've gone on without one for much longer." Donghae grinned back. "Can you?"

Siwon laughed, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah. I think you're a handful enough already."

"You brought it upon yourself, boss," said Donghae, his eyes bright and smiling.

_I'm glad I did,_ thought Siwon. Then coughed at the embarassing thought.

"Second point," he continued quickly, "I want to publicize the marriage. My family will believe it more if I'm actually allowing myself to be off the market."

"Can we just announce that you are going to be married? I don't want my face to be released to the public, to be honest." Donghae ducked his head. "I don't want a fancy wedding, either, though my brother Heechul would probably invite half the town the moment he learns about the wedding." 

"No fancy weddings. Yeah, that's feasible....."

"And after the wedding, can I continue working at SM?" 

Siwon smiled wanly. "It won't be the same, Donghae-ah."

"I know." Sungmin had warned Donghae about the rumors, and he can clearly remember the suspicious and envious stares of his fellow editors whenever he was around Siwon. "But I like my job, and the team I work with, so..." he shrugged. "I don't want to leave that behind."

A wave of guilt washed over Siwon. Admittedly, he did not think through the magnitude of the effect the marriage would have on Donghae's life. 

"I wouldn't want you to leave me, either," he said honestly.

(Then Siwon realized he had actually said an embarassing thought out loud. He scrunched his eyes closed.  _Keep it together, Choi Siwon!)_

"I mean, I definitely still want you in my team. But I'm a bit worried about how your colleagues would react to the marriage." 

"I'll manage," Donghae smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Siwon-sshi."

"Right." Siwon rubbed his nape. "But If you come into any sort of trouble in the office because of our arrangement, let me know, okay?"

"Actually, that's not really necessary--" 

"And after the divorce, you will be greatly rewarded. On top of the settlement money, I will give you a promotion, a car and a new condominium."

Donghae's eyes grew wider. "B-But I don't need..." 

"Two years is a long time to abstain from any sort of companionship." Siwon interrupted. "Let me do this for you, Donghae-ah. It's the least I can do."

Siwon hands the paper and pen to Donghae with the summary of the marriage contract.

 

* * *

 

_ TERMS OF AGREEMENT _

 

  1. Free to divorce after ~~f~~ ~~ive (5)~~  two (2) years of marriage.
  2. The marriage will be publicized. However, no one will mention who S. Choi will be married to, thus D. Lee's identity to the public will remain a secret.
  3. S. Choi and D. Lee will live together throughout the duration of their marriage.
  4. S. Choi and D. Lee will have no other relationships or affairs while married.
  5. S. Choi will shoulder the expenses for all marriage requirements and the divorce settlement..
  6. On top of the settlement money, D. Lee will receive a job promotion, a car and a new condominium after the divorce.



 

Signed,

 

Choi Siwon

 

Lee Donghae

 

* * *

  

Donghae read the paper one more time, before finally signing his name beside Siwon's neat signature. 

Siwon folded the paper and slid it into an envelope along with the other printed documents."I assume you didn't bring your seal, so let's do that after we get back from Mokpo." he said 

Donghae's eyes widened at the mention of the seal.  He didn't think Siwon was THAT serious with the terms and conditions. Then again, he wouldn't be the boss if he didn't take any form of contract seriously.

Donghae glanced at his wrist watch, and realized only an hour has passed since they left the station. As if reading his mind, Siwon said, "Since we still have time to kill, we should get our stories straight."

"Alright," said Donghae. "So how did we start...?" Donghae pointed back and forth between them. He couldn't bring himself to say the word  _date_ , yet.

"Let's just say I made the first move, but you didn't take me seriously until three months ago because you couldn't resist anymore?" Siwon waggled his eyebows playfully. Donghae blushed at that, unable to deny that there was some truth to the whole resisting thing.

"So, tell me about yourself, Donghae-ah." Siwon said, trying to get Donghae to open up to him. Although he had to admit, Donghae was adorable and easy to fluster, he didn't think people will believe them in the long run with just that.

"Umm, I've always wanted to be a writer..." Donghae started.

"I know," Siwon said gently, "but I want to know you better. Things like, what's your favorite movie?"

"Oh, I like a lot of movies."

"How about the movie you've watched several times?"

"Titanic?" Donghae grinned. "I love that film."

"Really? So you like those types of films?"

Donghae nodded. "How about you, Siwon-s-ah?" He asked shyly.

Siwon smiled as Donghae stuttered on his name. "I'm more into action, but I guess that's fine. How about sports?"

"I love soccer!" said Donghae, his eyes twinkling. "If I didn't become a writer I would've wanted to play soccer professionally."

"You should meet my brother then, he's so into it!" Siwon rolled his eyes. "He was stunned speechless when he first met Ji-sung Park."

Donghae laughed. "I also play basketball, if you're not into soccer?"

"Nice! Maybe we should play some time."

"My brothers are also into it, so maybe when we get to Mokpo, we can all play basketball?" Donghae offered. (He tried to wash away the image of Siwon all sweaty and probably shirtless.  _Get a hold of yourself, Lee Donghae!)_

"We should." Siwon said. "So how many are you in the family?"

"Well there's Halbae, Omma, Teukkie-hyung, Kangin-hyung, Heechul-hyung and Henry-ah."

"Wow, you have a lot of siblings."

"There's only two of us, actually. Teukkie-hyung is my cousin, but he acts like a real brother. Kangin-hyung is his husband." Donghae explained.

"A large family sounds fun." Siwon said, "There's only me and Minho in our family. Occasionally, there's my obnoxious cousin Kyuhyun."

"It's not all that great," Donghae sighed. "Teukkie-hyung and Heechul-hyung tend to fight over the stupidest things. One time, when we went to the beach..." 

The conversation got flowing as they traded stories from their childhood and about their families. The hours ticked by quickly, and before they knew it, the train was making an announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Mokpo Station. Please ensure to check all your belongings before you leave the train. Thank you for choosing Korea Train Express."

Donghae took a deep breath, closed his eyes and counted to three.  _Home sweet home,_ he thought, as he prepared himself for the craziness which was the Lee family.

"I hope you're ready. I wasn't joking when I said my family was crazy." Donghae said, while attempting to straighten his shirt and fix his hair.

Siwon hummed as he did the same to himself, making sure the contract was safely tucked in a deep corner of his bag.

The station wasn't as heavily packed as Seoul, maybe because it was just a regular weekend or it was still early. Either way, both Siwon and Donghae were thankful as they didn't need to wade through the crowd.

As soon as they made their way to the exit, Donghae caught sight of a very huge banner which said, "WELCOME TO MOKPO, SIHAE!!! ♥♥♥"

Donghae blushed beet red, and quickly turned to Siwon. "S-sorry. Must be Heechul-hyung's crazy idea."

Siwon laughed melodiously as he grabbed Donghae's hand, pulling him towards the direction of the banner. Donghae couldn't do anything but allow himself to be dragged to where he knew Heechul-hyung will be, probably with his whole family.

Siwon squinted as he saw a man (or was that a tall girl?) waving the banner vigorously. He could hear Donghae muttering to himself as the person bounced towards them in his floral pants, plain shirt and cherry red hair. Upon closer inspection, Siwon confirmed that the person was actually a he, and surmised he was the Heechul-hyung Donghae kept mentioning. 

_"Donghae-aaaaaaah!"_ Heechul screamed excitedly. He threw his arms around Donghae in a tight hug (a  _very_ tight hug, judging by Donghae's pained expression).

A full minute later, Heechul let go of Donghae and turned to Siwon, his smile disappearing completely. He surveyed Siwon from head to toe before finally saying, "You must be Siwon-sshi?"

Siwon lived in the company of stern and cold-hearted CEOs, his father included, but he had never felt as intimidated as he was by Heechul's stare. "Uh, yes. Yes I am."

"I'm Heechul. Donghae's older brother." He nodded briskly. "First time in Mokpo?"

"Yes, it's my first time." Siwon answered nervously as he felt a number of other eyes on him.

"Excuse us, Siwon-sshi. It's the first time Donghae brought home a friend from Seoul, much less a boyfriend." 

A beautiful lady stepped out from behind Heechul. She had Donghae's crinkly, bright-eyed smile, and Siwon immediately knew who she was. 

"Welcome to Mokpo, Siwon-sshi. I am Donghae's mother, Hyangsook."

"Omma!" Donghae rushed forward to hug his mother, earning a gentle laugh from the woman.

Siwon smiled at the reunited mother and son."Hello, ma'am." he bowed deeply. 

"We're absolutely delighted you made it. Though I hear you've been keeping Donghae from coming home sooner, hmm?" Hyangsook raised her eyebrow, the effect rivalling Siwon's own.

Siwon froze. "I... I'm sor--"

"It's not his fault, omma!" Donghae exclaimed. "It's been a busy year. And Siwon-ah works the hardest among all of us."

"Alright, alright, I was just teasing," Hyangsook giggled, looping her arm around Donghae's. "Let's all head home first so we can get to know Siwon-sshi better."

Heechul grabbed Donghae's other arm excitedly as he whispered, "Henry brought Bada for you! We know how much you missed her."

Siwon followed the family, feeling a little bit left out, and wondered,  _'Who the hell is Bada?'_

  

* * *

 

A few minutes later, Siwon ended up riding shotgun on "Bada", which surprisingly turned out to be a black Porsche Cayenne. Siwon could feel Donghae vibrating in elation as he took the driver's seat and stroked the steering wheel with reverence. Siwon thought about the car he promised, his competitive spirit stirring.

"You alright?" Siwon asked.

Donghae's eyes were wet with tears. " _It's really my baby_ ," he whispered.

Henry, his younger brother, laughed from behind them. "Kangin-hyung has been looking after Bada while you were away, so she was in good hands. Better hands, to be completely honest..."

Donghae looked at his brother through the rearview mirror and stuck out his tongue. "Is he still working on that crusty old Kia of his?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I'm tempted to set that thing on fire..."

The pair continued talking enthusiastically about what Donghae missed in the months he was out of Mokpo. Siwon caught snippets of the conversation, but could barely understand what was happening. He looked outside the window, and noticed how most of the stores had a unique, oddly familiar letter H in each of its logos.

"So Jjong still manages that little music shop you always check on. Then Taemin finally took over that small dance studio Hyuk-hyung worked for before." Henry said.

"Did that anchovy finally take up halbae on his suggestion to open his own dance studio?" Donghae asked, concentrated on the road.

Siwon's eyes widened as he suddenly realized where he saw that familiar H. He slowly peeked at Donghae's duffel bag which was tucked safely between them, and spotted the familiar H embroidered in gold at the side. He gasped and elbowed Donghae as Henry was busy pointing out the new shops along the road.

"You didn't tell me, you were rich." Siwon whispered.

"Hmm, come again, Siwon-ah?" Donghae asked.

"You. Didn't. Tell. Me. You. Were. Effin'. Rich." Siwon repeated.

Henry finally took notice of Siwon and replied, "Oh, Siwon-hyung, we're not rich."

"Tell me you don't own half the stores in this area." Siwon challenged.

The car was engulfed in silence as no one can deny the challenge.

"Well, that confirms it." Siwon said, pinching his nose in an attempt to alleviate an incoming headache before adding, "We'll talk about this later."

Donghae merely shrugged as he didn't see a problem with this. Anyway, he didn't want Henry to learn about their contract, either.

 

* * *

 

"My God."

Siwon looked up at the wide, stone house that towered above him. Shrubberies of geraniums and hibiscus and a litter of small fish statuettes lined the perimeter of the house, while the walls were adorned with large seashells, the larger-sized ones framing the blue-and-white-stained glass windows. The cemented road they were stalled on shot off onto a gravel path that led towards an open shed, housing three covered cars and a shabby Kia that totally looked out of place.

"It looks like a house from a K-drama!"

"Not used to seeing the countryside houses anymore, city brat?" Heechul grinned. 

"I wouldn't call this a typical country house." Siwon stared at Donghae meaningfully. "I imagined a normal house from what Donghae has said about it."

"It's our ancestral home, so it looks a bit rustic from the outside," Hyangsook explained. She patted Siwon's arm. "Come. Leeteuk is looking forward to meet you."

Donghae bit back a laugh. He had never seen his boss looking that terrified in all his years of working for SM.

"Er... m-may I use the toilets, first?" 

"Certainly!" Hyangsook chirped, half-dragging Siwon by the arm towards the front door. Siwon looked back at Donghae desperately, causing him to miss the colorful metal fish windchime hanging from the doorframe. The chime slapped against his forehead with a loud, melodic clang.

"Not exactly the cool guy I thought he would be," Heechul remarked. 

Donghae grinned fondly. "I think it's cute."

Heechul let out a derisive snort. "Of course you would."

  

* * *

 

His mom was excited; Donghae knew, from the moment she saw Siwon at the airport. His hypothesis was proven when she introduced Siwon to Leeteuk just briefly, only to drag him off again to show him around the house, from her flower garden, to her kitchen, to her sand collection of all the beaches she has been to...

Their last stop was the mini-library, where the progression of the Lee family from past to present hung as photos on the walls. Siwon peered into the largest photo in the room. "This must be Donghae's grandfather," said Siwon, pointing at a young man in a suit.

Hyangsook nodded. "Quite the looker, wasn't he?"

"Well, he looks a bit... strict..."

Hyangsook laughed. "He can be, but he's a sweet, lovable old man most of the time, especially when Donghae's around."

Siwon continued looking at the other pictures, then paused at a small, framed photo sitting atop a low shelf. Donghae felt a lump in his throat as Siwon picked up the frame to look at it more closely.

It was an old photo of Donghae as a young child, pictured with his first lumpy sandcastle. And behind him, sweaty and sporting a pained grin as he shielded his son from the sun, was Donghae's father.

"He passed away just before Donghae moved to work in Seoul," Hyangsook smiled sadly. "It's a shame. He was looking forward to the day Donghae would finally introduce someone, too."

Siwon glanced at Donghae with a solemn expression. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said.

"Thank you, my dear." Hyangsook gently took the frame from Siwon's hands to replace it on the shelf. She clapped her hands suddenly. "So! Would you like to see Donghae's baby pictures?"

"Oooookay," Donghae intervened smoothly, and made a grab for Siwon's hand. "Didn't you say you needed to go to the toilet, Siwon-ah?"

"Actually, I want to see--" Siwon paused at the threatening glint in Donghae's eye. "--see the toilet. Yes, of course."

"Oh dear. I have been keeping you, haven't I?" Hyangsook glanced at the wall clock. "You boys should take some time to rest. Dinner should be ready soon."

"Thanks, Omma." Donghae pecked his mother on her cheek. He pulled Siwon out of the room, only to be tugged back by his boss.

"Siwon-ah?" asked Donghae, confused.

"Uh,  I just want to say thanks. For having me, you know, on such short notice." Siwon looked up at Donghae. "I'm really glad to be here."

Hyangsook giggled knowingly at the awed look on her son's face. "So are we, Siwon-ah." she said fondly. "So are we."

 

* * *

 

Siwon frowned at the selfish, deceptive, manipulative, two-faced lying bastard staring back at him from the bathroom mirror.

"This is stupid," he whispered. "Yep, this is stupid. And wrong. Christ, what was I thinking!"

Siwon braced himself against the sink, his head pounding as the kind faces of Donghae's wonderful family swam around his head. He winced as he remembered his short, spur-of-the-moment speech at the library. He meant ever single word of it--he  _is_ happy to be here--but he couldn't fault Donghae for the look of disbelief in his face.

He then remembered Donghae's old photo with his father. The guilt immediately gnawed at his gut again.

Siwon clasped his hands together. "Lee-sshi," he whispered. "I know I'm marrying your son for all the wrong reasons, and you would probably haunt me for the rest of my life because of that, if you could. I am so, so sorry. But I promise to take good care of him, and to make him happy, because..." 

Siwon breathed deeply.  _Because happiness is what a good man like Lee Donghae deserves, right?_

Siwon jumped at the chirrup of his ringtone. Muttering darkly, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, and groaned when he saw his brother's photo on the display.

"Minho," Siwon greeted, making no effort to hide his irritation.

"Someone sounds happy," Minho giggled from the other line. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

" _No!_ And yes. I'm in the toilet."

"Geez, hyung! Details!" Minho made a disgusted sound. "I so didn't need to hear that right before dinner."

"You did call suddenly."

"I called because Dad wanted me to check up on you." Minho clucked his tongue. "He thinks... he thinks you've lost your mind."

"He's the one who's pushing this marriage thing!" Siwon hissed.

There was a short pause, Minho asked, "Hyung, you  _are_  serious about Donghae-sshi, aren't you?"

Siwon's voice turned steely. "What made you ask that?"

"I just want to know that you're absolutely sure about this. You tend to rush headlong into these decisions, sometimes..."

Siwon sighed at Minho's concerned tone. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't serious about it, brother."

"Huh. Guess so. Maybe we just need to get used to you in a long-term relationship." Siwon heard someone holler over the line. "Ooh, dinner's ready. Dad's just about sick of me talking about nothing else but football."

"Now he knows how I feel whenever we talk about work over dinner," Siwon muttered.

"He misses your for it." Minho paused again. "Hyung? Try to make it work this time, yeah?" 

Siwon smiled wryly. "Yeah. I'll do my best."

 

* * *

 

"That toilet break took a long time," Donghae greeted Siwon casually. 

"My brother called," said Siwon. He jumped onto the bed facedown and let out a muffled groan. 

"Sorry," Donghae said. "My family can be quite... overwhelming. And tiring."

"Mmh. Heechul's my favorite." Siwon peeked an eye out from his nest of arms. “You didn’t tell me your father passed away. Not even during your job interview.”

“I didn’t want to talk about it then,” Donghae said guardedly. “I’m sure you understand why…”

“There are  _a lot_  of things you seem to not want to talk about, Donghae-ah.” Siwon pushed himself off the bed. “And that’s not helping me.  _Us._ But I won’t push.”

Donghae watched Siwon as he pulled out his luggage and unpacked his clothes into the cleared space in his wardrobe cabinet. He could sense Siwon was a bit angry at him about the situation he found himself in, but then again, he didn't give Donghae any time to properly explain. So really, it wasn't Donghae's fault.

“Siwon-ah?”

The tone of Donghae’s voice made Siwon look up.

“I’m sorry if you felt like I was hiding things from you.” Donghae stared at his knees. “To be honest, I’ve never told anyone outside Mokpo about my family.”

“Eh, why not?” Siwon blinked. “They’re wonderful!”

“It’s being rich that makes me uncomfortable. All the money, all that privilege, it’s all because of my father’s hard work. Not mine.” Donghae smiled sadly. “I feel like I haven’t done anything to deserve it, yet.”

“Hey.” Donghae startled when he felt a hand gently ruffle his hair. “I know what you mean.”

Siwon sat on the bed and rested back on his palms with a loud sigh. “I’m not angry at you. Well, may be a little. But I’m mostly pissed off at myself. I’ve been so focused on winning the company from my father that I’ve forgotten to look at the bigger picture." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Donghae-ah.”

The confession took Donghae by surprise. "Siwon-ah..." Donghae began, but a loud knock interrupted him.

"Hae, dinner's ready." Teuk said from behind the closed door.

"Okay, hyung. We'll be right there!" Donghae shouted back.

Siwon jumped off the bed. “Yeah. I’ve still got a few clothes to put away…”

Donghae waited for Siwon to finish unpacking, before finally standing and asking him gently, "You ready, Siwon-ah?"

Siwon ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

 

* * *

 

As Donghae and Siwon entered the dining area, they were greeted by the complete family. Halbae was sitting at the head of the table, talking seriously with Teuk on his right. The rest of the members were helping Hyangsook serve dinner or were avidly chatting with the rest of the family.

Donghae tugged Siwon towards the empty space to halbae's left. He let out an excited noise as he spotted a lean, cap-wearing stranger Siwon didn't know yet. He launched himself towads the man, clapping him soundly and repeatedly at the back. 

"Myeolchi~ I missed youuuuu!"

"Fishieee~ I missed you too! But can you please stop hitting me now?" "Myeolchi" replied. He glanced curiously at the man beside Donghae. "So, who's this?"

Donghae blushed before answering, "Oh, right. Um, this is my boyfriend, Choi Siwon. Siwon-ah, I want you to meet my best friend, Lee Hyukjae."

There was a strange, tense moment of silence as both individuals sized each other up, before Siwon finally said, "Nice to meet you, Hyukjae-sshi."

"Nice to meet you too, Siwon-sshi, but please call me Eunhyuk." Eunhyuk replied.

"Or you can call him monkey or anchovy." Donghae added, giggling to himself.

"Yah!" Eunhyuk cried. Donghae shrieked as Eunhyuk caught him in a stranglehold.

"Kids..." Kangin warned as he saw Donghae and Eunhyuk's friendly banter.

"Hehe, sorry." Donghae said sheepishly.

"Settle down, everyone," Halbae commanded.

Hyangsook squeezed Siwon's shoulder as she sat beside him. The family quieted down as halbae said grace.

Dinner was delicious. Hyangsook and Henry had gone all out, preparing different sorts of seafood, kimchi and rice. At first the atmosphere was light, the conversations mainly focused on how everyone went about their day. Siwon let the voices wash over him, happy to sit back as a spectator. Dinner with his family was usually solemn, with only his father talking about new business ventures, a topic that never fails to put a damper on dinner.

Siwon was jerked back to reality by Donghae whispering, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little overwhelmed," Siwon whispered back.

"Sorry. Halbae's birthday is just around the corner, so everyone is here," Donghae explained.

"Hey, no need to apologize." Siwon said.

Donghae grinned before placing some pyeonyuk into Siwon's plate. "Try it. Omma's specialty and the best in Mokpo."

Siwon smiled back before dipping the meat into the sauce and opening his mouth to try the delicacy.

"What are you lovebirds smiling and whispering about?" Heechul interrupted.

"N-nothing," Donghae replied, eyeing Siwon's reaction to the food.

Siwon hummed in agreement, murmuring, "It tastes really good."

Donghae smiled brightly before continuing to eat. He continued to place small portions onto Siwon's plate. Siwon shook his head everytime, but he still ended up eating whatever Donghae tipped into his plate.

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick." Heechul said, a few minutes later.

"Is everything okay, Heechul-hyung?" Eunhyuk asks.

"I'm about to rub my eyes with alcohol. Tell your friend to stop being lovey-dovey with his boyfriend." Heechul replied.

Eunhyuk turned to Donghae and frowned at what he saw. He elbowed Donghae hard. "Yah! What are you guys doing?"

Donghae rubbed his sides and pouted at Eunhyuk. "What the hell was that for?"

"Save your cheesy, lovey-dovey moments for when you guys are alone." Eunhyuk snorted at Donghae.

Donghae frowned. "Why are you getting angry?" he asked.

Siwon raised one of his eyebrows as he heard the two bestfriends arguing. He couldn't stop but wonder if there were other reasons why the conversation was something he should be concerned about.

"Siwon-sshi, are you enjoying so far?" Teuk suddenly asked Siwon.

"Yes, definitely." Siwon replied. "You have a huge family and everyone seems to be close. So thank you for having me." 

"Well Siwon-sshi, how exactly did you meet my grandson?" Halbae joined in.

Siwon gulped. It was the first time halbae decided to talk to him. He felt Donghae shift in his seat as he answered, "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm actually Donghae's boss in the office."

Everyone turned their heads towards the couple, their interest fully caught by halbae and Siwon's conversation. Heechul smiled knowingly, having interrogated Donghae as soon as he was told Siwon was coming to Mokpo. Meanwhile, Kangin casted a sympathetic smile at Siwon; he remembered experiencing the same thing when he asked for permission to marry Jeongsu. Halbae was especially frightening when it came to making sure his family was being taken care of.

"...I see. For how long?" Halbae continued.

"About two years." Siwon replied warily.

"A boss-employee relationship, hmm," Halbae chewed on a piece of meat. "You didn't bully Donghae into this, I hope?"

_Fuck._  Siwon thought, sweating buckets.  _It's the first night and I'm already screwed._

"Halbae!" Donghae interrupted, standing from his seat.

"Shush, Hae. I just want to know your boyfriend better." Halbae said.

"Siwon-ah is very hardworking and passionate! He's not very vocal about it, but his actions show that he's concerned about our well-being! It was only when I got to know him better that I realized how well we're taken care of." Donghae defended.

The entire table was stunned. Siwon blushed at Donghae's outburst.

Halbae set down his chopsticks. "Hae-ah, you know halbae only wants the best for you, right?"

"I know. But you've got to let me choose for myself, halbae." Donghae smiled wistfully. "It's time for me to grow up, too." 

"Children nowadays." Halbae sighed melodramatically. "Come here and give halbae a hug. I've missed you so much, Hae."

Donghae skipped over to the head of the table and engulfed halbae in a huge hug. "I've missed you too, halbae!"

"Alright, Siwon-sshi and Donghae must be tired from their trip. Let's give them some time to rest." Hyangsook said.

All the occupants stood up, pecking halbae, Hyangsook and Donghae on the cheek, then clapping Siwon at the back or the arm. Eunhyuk only gave him a quick, polite bow, though his eyes were sharp and unfriendly.

Siwon spotted Hyangsook piling the used plates.  "Let me help with the dishes, at least," said Siwon.

"Don't worry about it, dear. That's why I have these fine gentlemen to help me." She thumbed at the unhappy pair of Kangin and Eunhyuk over her shoulder. "You can help me next time." Hyangsook smiled.

"Thank you. Dinner was very delicious." Siwon replied as he made his way to Donghae's side, who was still whispering with his halbae.

"Well, we're going to turn ourselves in, halbae. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow." Donghae said.

Halbae raised his eyebrows at Siwon expectantly.

Siwon swallowed. "I just want to say, I know I may not be the perfect person for your grandson, but I promise I'll take care of him." Siwon said, bowing deeply to halbae. "Good night, Sir."

 

* * *

 

Donghae stifled a yawn as he and Siwon entered their shared room. After closing the door, he grabbed extra pillows and a comforter to sleep on from his cabinet. He was tired and sleepy, having woken up early to catch the morning train. He decided to set  up his sleeping area while waiting for Siwon to finish using the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Siwon asked. He was dressed in a pair of black pajamas, his face dotted with moisturizer as he went about his nightly skin care routine.

"Uh, fixing my bed?" Donghae grabbed his own pair of PJs--a rather embarassing Mickey Mouse printed ones--and entered the bathroom to change, as well.

"Why is it on the floor?" Siwon asked again, sitting on the edge of the bed while waiting for Donghae to finish.

"Well, because you're sleeping on the bed." Donghae answered through the closed door.

"No way." Siwon argued, "Today has been too tiring. I don't want you to sleep on the floor."

Donghae came out of the bathroom and plopped into his makeshift bed. "Don't worry about it, Siwon-ah. It's just as nice and comfy. You can take the bed."

"Er, we could share...?" Siwon offered.

Donghae laughed, "If you feel that guilty, let's trade places tomorrow, but please use the bed for today."

"...Alright," Siwon finally agreed, though he looked unconvinced. "But I'm sleeping on the floor tomorrow, okay?"

_No way in hell is Choi Siwon sleeping on the floor,_ Donghae thought as Siwon finally slid under the comforter.

Donghae closed the lights and snuggled deeper into his own comforter. Silence immediately engulfed the room.

"Donghae-ah?" Siwon's voice rumbled through Donghae's haze of sleep.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for defending me to your halbae earlier. Even though everything he said was practically true," said Siwon softly.

"I wasn't lying about it, boss. You work us to hell and back, but we know how much you care for us." Donghae said.

Siwon seemed to think it over. "I now understand why Yunho fights so hard year after year to keep you in Features."

Donghae chuckled. "Good night, Siwon-ah."

"Good night, Donghae-ah. Sweet dreams."


	3. Chapter 3

A loud knock interrupted whatever good dream Siwon was having. Siwon opened his eyes, and for a minute he was unable to tell where he was, before remembering Donghae and the contract they have both agreed on.

"Donghae-ah, Siwon-sshi?! Time to wake up," Hyangsook said from the other side. "I'm entering in three minutes, so you better be wearing something!"

Siwon bolted upright, his eyes wide with panic. "Donghae!" he whispered.

Donghae turned, but appeared to be still deep asleep.

"Donghae!" Siwon hissed, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it at Donghae.

"W-what?" Donghae asked.

"Your mom is about to come in! Come here!" Siwon scooted at the side to make some space for Donghae.

Donghae sat upright and hurriedly threw his pillow onto the bed. (In his panic, Donghae failed to notice he had hit Siwon square in the face.) He kicked his comforter under the bed and dove under the duvet just as the door began to creak open. Siwon awkwardly wrapped an arm around Donghae, acutely aware of his sore nose and the sleepwarm body cozied up next to him.

"Wake up boys!" Hyangsook said as she entered the room. She headed towards the huge windows to let the sunshine in.

"What time is it?" Donghae yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"It's only seven in the morning, dear." Hyangsook answered, turning around to face the couple and giggling softly.

"Why did you wake us up so early, omma?"

"Aren't you touring Siwon-sshi around Mokpo? Now would be the perfect time to start while it's still early." Hyangsook winked as she made her way to the door. "Now go prepare yourselves. I will see you in breakfast in half an hour."

Siwon merely nodded as Hyangsook finally left, closing the door behind her.

"Well, that was some wake up call." Siwon fell back against the pillows, not bothering to remove the arm draped over Donghae's shoulder.

Donghae blushed, only realizing how they actually looked when his mother came barging into his room. "We should dress up, or else omma will send someone to check on us." He shuddered. "Someone like Heechul-hyung."

Siwon was reluctant to leave the warm, snuggly  ~~Donghae~~  bed, but Heechul seeing the two of them clinging to each other in bed was, without a doubt, a potential PR disaster. "Better get dressed quickly then," Siwon agreed.

 

* * *

 

"Omma." Donghae pointed at the thermal lunch bag on the kitchen counter.  "Isn't this a little too excessive? We're not five year-olds on a field trip!"

"Nonsense," Hyangsook scoffed. "Yudalsan is best enjoyed with homecooked lunch."

"Yeah, but this is  _a lot_ of homecooked lunch." He lifted the bag and grimaced at its hefty weight.

"Then I'll just give it to Kangin-ah if you don't want it." Hyangsook sighed. "And I woke up so early to prepare this lunchbox..."

Donghae rolled his eyes at his mother's guilt-tripping antics. Siwon, on the other hand, was panicking.

"We'll take it, Hyangsook-sshi!" Siwon took the lunchbox from Donghae's hands. "We can just save some for the trip later, right, Hae?"

"Oh dear, I forgot about the other trip!" Hyangsook turned towards the kitchen. "Don't worry, I'll make some more food."

"NO, Omma!"

"That's really unnecessary..."

"Seriously, omma, stop overfeeding everybody." Leeteuk walked in and winked at the flustered couple. "Young-woon's weight has shot up by 5 kilograms ever since he started living with us."

Hyangsook crossed her arms. "5 kilograms heavier and he's happier for it!"

"Oh no, he isn't. I'm putting him under a diet program."

Hyangsook's face drained of colour. "What?  _You're starving him?_ "

Donghae tugged at Siwon's arm. "Let's go, Siwon-ah, before she forces the entire pantry on us..."

Siwon mustered a quick bow as Donghae dragged him away. And not a moment too soon--had Hyangsook insisted, Siwon wasn't sure he could entirely refuse. 

He glanced at Donghae.  _It's the eyes,_  he thought. The liquid, downturned puppy eyes that even a stone-hearted CEO would find impossible to resist. Like mother, like son, indeed.

"So that's who you get it from," Siwon muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." Siwon gazed at Donghae's pristinely maintained Porsche Cayenne, instead. He whistled appreciatively. "Any chance of letting me drive, Donghae-ah?"

Donghae put on a pair of aviator shades and swung the door open, finally looking like the son of a business magnate that he truly was. He grinned playfully. "Sorry, Siwon-sshi, but not this time."

 

* * *

 

Apart from their argument over the custody of Hyangsook's enormous lunchbox (which Siwon won by, quite unfairly, playing the boss card), their hike up Yudalsan park was fairly quiet. 

Donghae used to frequent Yudalsan with his family for Sunday picnics. He remembered racing Henry up the shrine, the cool mountain breeze burning their nose and cheeks. They would look down, breathless, on the whole city of Mokpo, then a simple town of small buildings, pagodas and patches of shrubberies or trees, folded into the gentle clasp of the sea.

Donghae wondered how much of that has changed; Halbae often rued how Korea was changing faster than it could think.  _And so am I_ , thought Donghae. After all, he began with a stranger's number on a coffee cup and ended up with one of South Korea's most eligible bachelors, all in a single day.

Beside him, South Korea's most eligible bachelor currently looked every bit a tourist as he adjusted his shades, pulled out the trail map and hefted the lunchbox over his shoulder. "Shall we?" said Siwon with an easy grin.

Their first stop, a monument for Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, was one of Donghae's favorites. When he was a child, the statue was enormous enough to loom over him like an incredible war god, which Donghae found cool and awesome. Halbae also told many stories of how the man had frightened the Japanese away, which sealed Admiral Yi's place among Donghae's childhood heroes.

They continued their hike up to the sculpture park, a newer installment that Donghae himself had not seen before. Donghae ambled from one sculpture to another, humming thoughtfully as he read the sculptor’s description. Siwon, however, only looked at them with passing interest. ("I don’t have the patience to work out how an artist's mind works,” he later admitted.)

The sculpture park led to a winding path of thinning cherry blossom trees and forsythia, sloping upwards to Yudalsan’s summit. (Donghae mentally noted to come back in Spring, when the flowers were in full bloom and Yudalsan was at its most beautiful and festive.) Donghae felt slightly nervous, unsure of what to expect at the top after so many years.

Siwon got there first, and visibly sucked in a breath. Donghae jumped the last few steps then looked out from the pagoda. 

There were taller buildings and fewer trees than he had last seen it, but Mokpo remained largely unchanged. Just like in the past, the view up top still took Donghae’s breath away.

"You realize how small Mokpo is from up here," said Siwon.

"Yeah. You can even see my house from here..." Donghae squinted at a particular direction, then pointed at a blue roof at the distance. "Over there."

Siwon shielded his eyes. "Yeah. I see it."

They admired the view quietly for a few minutes, their elbows brushing as they leant over the railing. A week ago, Donghae couldn’t even look at Siwon in the eye; he was always too nervous whenever his boss was around. To him, Siwon has always been on a different league. But something about last night—the terrifying experience of meeting halbae the first time, probably, or Donghae finally opening up about his father—made Donghae feel that he had gained some common ground. Made Siwon feel a little more  _real._

“Woah, you can even see the train from here!” said Siwon excitedly, his arm now warmly pressed against Donghae’s. Donghae smiled. He could stay like this for hours.

He could, until his stomach grumbled loudly and shattered the peace.

Donghae flushed beet-red to the tip of his ears. Siwon grinned and held up Hyangsook’s packed lunch. “Good thing we brought this along, huh? If your omma was here, she would probably say ‘I told you so~!’”

Donghae ducked his head to hide his blush and tugged at Siwon’s hand. “T-there’s a lovely picnic spot over there…”

Donghae led Siwon to one of their family's favourite picnic spots--a lower grassy area beside the pagoda that still offered a relatively unobscured view of Mokpo through the trees. A family and a foreign couple had already occupied a few spots, but they were able to find a shady spot a few metres away, far enough to ensure privacy. Siwon spread out the blanket on the grass, and Donghae began to lay out the  _dosirak_ his mother had prepared, which had boxes of kimbap, egg rolls, bulgogi, and salted fish, plus dessert cups of different flavours. 

"Your mom doesn't hold back, does she," said Siwon, goggling at the feast that was laid before him. Donghae mutely nodded, also speechless by the amount of food his mother had managed to sneak into the bag.

They said their prayers and tucked into the generous feast. Siwon hummed with satisfaction as he chewed on a piece of kimbap,  which made Donghae feel oddly happy.

"Where next?" Siwon asked, picking up two egg rolls at once.

"I was thinking of going to Gatbawi."

"Hang on, I've heard of that place before..." After a few minutes of quiet concentration, Siwon waved his chopsticks excitedly. "That's where Mokpo's famous rocks are, right?"

Donghae laughed. "Yeah, where you get to walk around them on a wooden bridge. But I want you to see the harbour, too. It's one of my favourite places. And the Maritime museum is pretty interesting."

"You sure love the sea, don't you, Donghae-ah?"

Donghae sighed. "If I could live next to sea for the rest of my life, I would. Omma loves the sea, too."

"Yeah. She keeps a collection of the beaches she's visited. I remember." Siwon looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I think I'll buy a souvenir, myself. A shirt, maybe. Or a bracelet."

Donghae's head snapped up. "A bracelet?" 

"Yeah. I could get the brats back home one each, too..." he then smiled at Donghae sheepishly. "Sorry. I meant my brother and Kyuhyun."

Donghae thought about Siwon's souvenir, an idea forming in his head.  _A bracelet's pretty easy to make..._

Donghae's thoughts were interrupted by the IPhone's familiar chirrup. Siwon's eyes widened. "There's reception up here, on a  _mountain_ ? I had no bars  _at all_  since we left your house this morning!" He hurriedly fished his phone out of his pocket and answered the call. 

"Hello? Oh, Sungmin-sshi! How are you doing?"

Donghae pouted, slightly annoyed by the intrusion. He knew he had no right--they were only pretending to be dating, after all--but he genuinely wanted Siwon to spend a quiet, relaxing day for once, and today was that golden chance. But it seemed there was just no running away from Siwon's many responsibilities.

"Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?"

Donghae winced at the sharpness in Siwon's voice. The bright grin on his face had completely disappeared.

"Okay. Send them to my personal e-mail. I'll see how I can send them back," Siwon said shortly. He ended the call with a gruff sigh.

"Something wrong?" asked Donghae softly.

"The Fashion Week committee had additional paperwork for us to do." Siwon ran a hand through his hair. "They need my feedback ASAP. I've asked Sungmin-sshi to send the documents right now."

Donghae hesitated, then said, "If it's that urgent, there's a computer shop not far from here. We can go round the other side of the mountain and walk from there."

Siwon's face lightened with relief. "Really? That's perfect! I'll have to check a few e-mails, too..." 

Donghae forced a smile. "Looks like it's a change of plans, huh?"

Siwon moved to squeeze Donghae's hand, but he froze at the look on Donghae's face. "Seems so,"  he said coolly.

Donghae bowed his head and quietly placed the almost empty boxes into the bag. He was being childish, wasn't he? The stern look on Siwon's face said as much.

"I understand" Siwon reached out for the bag, but Donghae had turned towards the path, closing him off. "Let's go."

 

* * *

 

They stopped at a small, rundown shop just by the foot of the mountain. Donghae instinctively leant against the door; he remembered the misshapen steel frame always got caught in the doorjamb. It gave way with a merry tinkle of a bell chime overhead.

"Well, here we are!" Donghae said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Siwon looked a little less so. His frown deepened when he spotted the rows of old, bulky processors behind the counter. "Those are just spare units, right?" he asked uncertainly.

Before Donghae could answer, a friendly-looking man popped out from a room behind the counter. "Welcome t-OH hello, Donghae-hyung!" he greeted.

"Hi Onew-ah! Can we rent a computer with internet access, please?" Donghae asked.

The said man checked something on his own computer before beaming at Donghae and Siwon. "Number 5 is available."

"Thanks!" Donghae replied. 

Number 5 was the unit by the window, which directly faced the street and had a view of the small coffee shop right across. Siwon pulled out the wobbly computer chair and sat on it gingerly, only settling down when he was sure it could carry his full weight.

"Um, what will you--"

"I'm going to stay in that coffee shop over there," said Donghae curtly. "Come over when you're finished. I'll pay for about an hour."

Before Siwon could get a word in, Donghae had already turned his back and headed towards the counter. Siwon could only stare at Donghae dumbly as he settled the transaction and swept out the door. 

And then, to make matters worse, Siwon's computer chair suddenly gave in.

 

* * *

 

Donghae sat on one of the outdoor tables with a direct view of Siwon. Onew initially hovered beside Siwon, bowing repeatedly for what looked like profuse apology. Siwon stood up and led him out after a few minutes. 

He heaved a deep sigh as he sipped his iced Americano. Every few minutes he would stop to watch Siwon, who looked very serious with whatever it was he was working on. 

Donghae poked at his cheesecake. He was annoyed. He was unreasonably annoyed over something stupid and petty, and Siwon knew it, too.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a dark shadow suddenly covered his view.

"What?" Donghae asked, looking up.

"Hey fishie!" Eunhyuk greeted. He made himself comfortable on the seat in front of Donghae.

"Oh hey, Hyuk," Donghae greeted listlessly.

"Why the long face?" Eunhyuk asked. He glanced at Donghae's untouched cheesecake, and covertly scooped a biteful.

That brought Donghae back to reality. "Yah!" Donghae yelled, taking his fork from Eunhyuk.

"Hmm, where's Siwon?" Eunhyuk continued, pretending to look around for the tall man.

Donghae nodded towards the computer shop's direction. "Busy working."

"Hmm," said Eunhyuk thoughtfully, taking the chance to grab a sip from Donghae's Americano.

"Hey Hyuk." Donghae said softly.

"Hmm?" Eunhyuk asked,  aware of Donghae's sudden shift into a somber mood.

"Can you do me a favor?" Donghae asked. When he looked back at Eunhyuk, he had his puppy dog eyes on.

"W-what do you want?" Eunhyuk asked back. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't find it in himself to resist those eyes. Those eyes have caused Eunhyuk trouble. Even after so many months of not seeing each other, apparently he was still weak to it.

"Can you take Siwon out tomorrow? I just need to do something in the morning." Donghae said.

"Oh. Trouble in paradise?" Eunhyuk replied.

"No. I just...I want to go to my workshop." Donghae added softly.

"You mean, you're going to make him something?" Eunhyuk gasped, surprised.

"Yeah. Probably." Donghae fidgeted under Eunhyuk's intense stare.

Eunhyuk continued to look at Donghae, heaving a sigh of his own. At first, he didn't want to believe that Donghae was serious with Siwon. However, the fact that Donghae even introduced Siwon to his crazy family, and was planning to work on something in his workshop, must mean Donghae has found true happiness with Siwon. 

"...I can't." Eunhyuk replied slowly.

Donghae looked up in surprise. For the first time since the two have known each other, Eunhyuk had rejected him.

"You know why." Eunhyuk continued. "We may not be seeing each other anymore, and when we do we act like we're the best of friends. But it doesn't mean I don't get hurt when you suddenly come home and introduce your so-called boyfriend to your family."

"Hyukjae," said Donghae, stunned. "I...I'm sorry."

"I'm not angry. I know we're better off as friends." Eunhyuk said with a sad smile. He stood up. "I'm sorry too."

Donghae could only stare at Eunhyuk's retreating back as it faded into the distance.

 

* * *

 

Siwon stared at the computer screen, tapping his fingers as he waited for his documents to send. After the misfortune of falling to the floor, he thought everything will be smooth sailing and he could return to Donghae immediately. But alas, everything was loading so slowly, each document taking ages to finish. What should have been a mere fifteen minute review turned into a forty-five minute battle with the computer.

Siwon stretched his arms as he finally completed his work. He chanced a look at Donghae and was surprised the other was having a serious conversation with another man. He stood up from his position and bid Onew goodbye.

Siwon frowned; as he drew nearer, he realized that Donghae was talking to Hyukjae. He didn't like how the two were looking at each other, as if there were some issues to be resolved. The seriousness of the conversation allowed Siwon to sneak behind the two without being noticed. (He has no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation, of course...)

Siwon was just about to say hello, but the words died in his throat as Hyukjae said, "I know we're better off as friends..."

Siwon was stunned silent. He scrambled to hide behind the wall as Hyukjae made a hurried exit, muttering sorry to Donghae.

It took a few minutes for Siwon to gather his thoughts. For the hundredth time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for dragging Donghae to his problems. There was no point in hiding behind a wall, though--he should at least make the best of his vacation, regardless if he will go through with the contract, or let go of Donghae by the end of it.

"Hey Donghae-ah." Siwon greeted as cheerfully as he could. He sat on the same seat Hyukjae was sitting on a few minutes ago.

Donghae snapped out of his thoughts at Siwon's greeting. "Oh. Are you done, boss?"

Siwon frowned. Just when thought he was making progress with Donghae, he's suddenly back to square one. Ever since Sungmin called, Donghae returned to treating him like he was from a different class altogether, and Siwon didn't like it.

"Yeah." Siwon replied before adding, "I saw Hyukjae-sshi as I crossed the street."

Donghae's eyes widened. He fidgeted in his seat, but didn't make a move to explain himself.

"I-I just want to know something, Donghae-ah." Siwon continued slowly. "Are...were you together?"

There was a long and tense silence before Donghae mumbled, "Yes."

Donghae may have answered softly, but the words rang loud and clear in Siwon's head.  It felt like a confirmation that everything they had was just a lie.

 

* * *

 

Donghae woke up early the next day. After Donghae confirmed his previous relationship with Hyukjae, Siwon clammed up and said nothing for the rest of the trip. Donghae didn't know what the other was thinking, and he didn't bother to pry--he himself was confused with his feelings. Thus, things were very awkward the night before, with neither him nor Siwon speaking to each other. 

Despite that, he decided to continue with his plans to head to his workshop. Maybe doing some crafts would take his mind away from the tension.

Donghae stood as quietly as possible from his makeshift bed, stifling a gasp as he saw Siwon's sleeping face. Siwon was turned towards him, sleeping right by the edge of the bed. It was as if Siwon was affected by last night's atmosphere that he found sleep with a clear view of Donghae sleeping on the floor. 

Donghae stared at Siwon's sleeping face. Before he could stop himself, he traced every inch of Siwon's face, from his closed eyes to his sharp nose. He couldn't help but smile softly as he felt the growing stubble, before lastly tracing his lips. He desperately stopped himself from leaning forward to kiss the sleeping man.

Donghae immediately ran to the bathroom, as if he was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. 

He leaned on the closed door, his heart beating rapidly and his face flushed red. The admiration he felt as he watched Siwon passionately working for Devil has turned into something else as he took care of him.

He was already falling for his boss. 

_'No! This is only for his inheritance._ ' Donghae thought to himself. He shook his head and turned to take a long bath.

 

* * *

 

Siwon felt uneasy.

By the time he woke, Donghae’s comforter had been folded neatly and shoved under the bed. Siwon immediately looked for him around the house—the library, the dining area, even the bathrooms—but Donghae was nowhere to be seen. Hyangsook had left a note on the dining table next to a plate of toast and eggs, but it still left no clue as to where Donghae could have possibly run off to.

He took his plate into Donghae’s room and set it down on the bedside table. With a frustrated grunt, he scrolled through his phone, looking for something that can distract him through breakfast. 

Siwon eventually settled for a game of Candy Crush. He had just completed a sweet Sugar Crush move when someone rapped softly on the door.

_About time Donghae came back,_  he thought. “Come in, please,” he mumbled around a mouthful of toast.

Leeteuk peeked in, and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Siwon was balancing a plate on his lap, frowning in concentration at his mobile phone.

“Good morning, Siwon-sshi.”

Siwon jumped, and punched the Home button in his panic. “Leeteuk-sshi! Sorry. I was... expecting someone else.”

“Mm. You’re probably looking for Donghae-ah,” said Leeteuk.

Siwon bit his cheek. “Yes, I was.”

“I dropped by to say he’s in his workshop.” Leeteuk chuckled at Siwon’s frown of confusion. “Donghae-ah likes to work on craft-making in his spare time, so halbae had a workshop installed near the garage. We call it a workshop, but really, it’s just to keep Hae's mess in one place.”

Siwon blinked, surprised at the new information. “I see. Did he say… if he has any plans today?”

“Nothing in particular.” Leeteuk smiled kindly. “Did something happen yesterday?”

Siwon rubbed his nape. The atmosphere had been awkward and stilted since he took Sungmin’s call, but he certainly didn’t expect a turn for the worse when he confronted Donghae about Hyukjae. 

“Why don’t you go for a walk,” Leeteuk suggested. “The weather outside is perfect for a jog.” 

Siwon considered it. "I think I’ll take you up for it,” he said.

“Good. Are you interested in martial arts, by any chance?”

Siwon blinked. He was, actually, a taekwondo black belter. Donghae’s brother might be a little psychic, he concluded. “I took up taekwondo when I was young.”

“Ah, I thought so,” said Leeteuk happily. “Youngwoon-ah works in a dojo a few blocks from here. If you like, you can pay him a visit. He’s been looking around for a worthy sparring partner.” Leeteuk winked at him. “I think you might be just the man.”

Siwon grinned back. “I hope this isn’t some kind of test to prove myself.”

“That would be quite romantic, wouldn’t it?” Leeteuk took the empty plate from Siwon’s lap, and said, “Give Donghae-ah some time to himself this morning, Siwon-ah. Misunderstandings happen, but they need to be resolved with a cool head." He patted Siwon's knee. "Don't worry. My brother's not the type to hold grudges for very long. You'll be alright.”

Siwon’s ears reddened slightly. “Thank you, Leeteuk-sshi.”

“Teukkie-hyung, please. We’re family, aren’t we?” Leeteuk stood up and walked to the door. “When you drop by the dojo, can you please tell that husband of mine that I know what he’s been doing?” His eyes narrowed sharply. “And that he better not do it again.”

“Um, of course.” Siwon couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Kangin.

Leeteuk's sweet smile returned, the aura of threat gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I'll tell Donghae-ah you went out for a jog, okay?" He mouthed "Fighting~" with a gesture of a hand.

As soon as the door closed, Siwon flopped back against the bed. "Damn it," he muttered, and closed his eyes. "It's all pretend. _It's all pretend-_ -"

But Siwon knew it was futile. He couldn't deny it anymore--that small, growing part of him that seriously wanted the relationship to work. 

Nor that part of him that seriously wanted the relationship to be true.

 

* * *

 

Donghae wiped the stray bead of sweat from his forehead. The better part of his morning has been spent cutting the metal into a sizable bracelet and then bending it like a cuff. Now all he had to do was engrave some message on the pair of bracelets he created.

Donghae smiled in success, raising the perfect cuff bracelets he created for Siwon and himself. 

Without warning, the door to the workshop slammed open. Donghae almost dropped the bracelets in surprise.

"Oy, fishie! You still alive?" Heechul poked his head into the room. 

"Heechul-hyung!" Donghae sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Geez, you've been in here for hours. What the heck are you working on, anyway?"

Donghae discreetly slipped the cuff bracelets into his back pocket. "Um, a gift. For halbae." 

Heechul raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but didn't push. Instead, his face turned serious. "Speaking of the old man, he's looking for you. Said he wanted to talk about something."

"Did he say what about?"

Heechul smiled wryly. "Guess."

"No way." Donghae grimaced. "I thought we're done with Siwon during dinner the other night!"

"The old man's just worried about you, Hae. As we all are." Heechul folded his arms. "We don't know anything about Siwon-sshi, apart from he's a young and handsome executive who knows how to take care of business and people. So at least he meets the minimum requirement, but more importantly..." Heechul poked Donghae on the chest. "Can we trust him to take care of  _you_ ?"

"Definitely," said Donghae, resolute. "He's contractually obliged to," he added in a softer tone.

" _Contractually?_  Then I hope that contract doesn't have a termination clause," Heechul ha-ha'd, taking Donghae's reply as a joke. Donghae flinched, the accurate remark hitting too close to home. 

Heechul smiled. "You really have it bad for this guy, huh, fishie?"

Donghae thought about the odd mix of emotions he had been wrestling with since the start of the trip. "I'm only beginning to understand it, myself," said Donghae honestly. "I'm a bit scared, hyung. It's my first time to feel like this..."

"Brat," Heechul said, ruffling Donghae's hair. "A real man is not scared of his own feelings."

"Yeah. Maybe if I was as tough as you," Donghae sniffled.

Heechul said nothing for a few moments. "If I was as tough as you think I am, then we'd still have Han Geng here..." He looked at Donghae with a melancholy smile. "I ran away from my feelings once, Donghae-ah. So don't make the same mistake, okay?"

Donghae squeezed Heechul's hand and nodded. "I won't," promised Donghae.  _I'll definitely see this relationship through, hyung. Right to its inevitable end._

 

* * *

 

"Hey Siwon-sshi." Kangin said, as he threw a bottle of water towards Siwon's direction. Siwon caught it effortlessly and muttered his thanks.

Kangin and Siwon sat side by side, both men catching their breaths from the exercise. "Do you feel better?" Kangin asked.

Siwon took huge gulps of water before he replied. "A little. But I didn't think I'd find a good sparring partner here in Mokpo. We should do it again some time, Kangin-sshi."

Kangin chuckled. "We should, brother. You won't find anyone better here in Mokpo!"

Siwon rummaged through some of his things to look for his mobile phone. A few hours have passed, and Siwon hoped Donghae may have finally decided to contact him. After a few minutes of searching in vain, he realized he may have left his mobile in Donghae's room after stuffing some change of clothes into a small spare bag before heading to the dojo. He muttered a curse to himself.

"Is everything okay, Siwon-sshi?" Kangin asked, noticing Siwon's panicked state.

"Oh nothing, Kangin-sshi. It just seems I left my mobile at your house." Siwon replied, slumping in resignation.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Jeongsu will contact me if something happens." Kangin smiled gently. "Why don't you take a quick shower and let's grab some lunch?"

Siwon merely nodded, and headed to the locker rooms.

 

* * *

 

Donghae found halbae sitting on his favourite chair in the library. He softly knocked on the open door.

"Donghae-ah! Come in," said halbae..

Donghae kissed him on the cheek, then pulled a chair across the table. "Heechul-hyung said you called for me."

"Yes," said halbae simply. He slid a mobile phone across the table. "I called you to discuss this."

Donghae's eyes widened when he recognized the phone. "That's Siwon-ah's!"

"Someone has been calling your boss all morning." explained halbae gruffly. "It annoyed me, so I answered it."

Donghae gaped at his grandfather. "You did  _what_ ?" 

"The young man on the other line was going on and on and on about a document that I didn't understand, even before I had the chance to speak." Halbae snorted. "He was quite surprised that Siwon-sshi left his mobile phone. Of course, I took the chance to ask him about your work, which he was happy to complain about, but he also said a few interesting things about Siwon-sshi and yourself..."

The chair clattered loudly as Donghae shot up from his seat, to his grandfather's surprise.

"I'm sorry, halbae, but this has gone too far," Donghae said, his voice shaking.

Halbae frowned. "Now, now, Donghae-ah..."

"I understand if you do not trust Siwon-ah yet, but snooping around his personal property is unacceptable behavior!"

"And so is talking to your grandfather in this manner!" Halbae barked. "What is it with your defensive attitude about Siwon-sshi?"

Donghae paused. He didn't know why, himself. He only knew he needed to protect Siwon in whatever way he could, even against his own grandfather. 

"Halbae, I think I'm right to get angry on Siwon-ah's behalf. And I'm not changing my mind about him, either, whatever you may think." 

Donghae rubbed the tears from his eyes. He coldly bowed to his dumbfounded grandfather and stormed out the room.

"Huh, that went well." Heechul popped out behind the window and leant against the windowsill. "That totally wasn't your intention, was it, old man?"

"Not at all," said halbae. "I even had good things to say about that Siwon-sshi, but my cute grandchild has been so emotional the past few days. It's Siwon-sshi's fault!"

Heechul rolled his eyes at his grandfather. "I'm with Donghae-ah on this one, halbae. Why did you answer Siwon-sshi's phone, anyway? You could've asked me, Leeteuk-hyung or Henry-ah to do it."

Halbae shrugged. "Eh, I was bored."

"...Seriously, you..." Heechul rubbed his temples. "Aren't you worried that you're on bad terms with Donghae-ah right before your birthday?"

Halbae shook his head. "This Siwon-sshi seems to have a cool, rational head on his shoulders. We'll see how good he is at calming down Donghae-ah. He'll sort it out."

"Oh, and  _now_ he relies on poor Siwon-sshi," Heechul sighed. "Tough luck, old man. Leeteuk-hyung said they weren't on good terms this morning, either."

"They what?!" Halbae shot up from his seat, only to crumple back down again with a pained groan. "Ohhh, my back..."

Heechul grimaced.  _I'm not sure if I should be jealous or if I should pity you over how much halbae loves you, fishie._

"Heechul-ah! Don't just stand there! Get my medicines!"

"Okay, okay," said Heechul, shaking his head. "You're such a klutz sometimes, halbae..."

_-  A few minutes earlier...  -_

_"Hello?"_

_"SIWON-SSHI! Sungmin-sshi here. I've been trying to call you for ages! I sent over the documents to the organizers, so that's been settled. But they want to feature--"_

_"I'm terribly sorry, young man. But this is not Siwon-sshi."_

_"Oh? OH! I'm sorry. I must have dialed--no, this is the correct number--wait, who are you? Why do you have his phone?!"_

_"I am part of the hotel's concierge staff. Siwon-sshi left his phone in his room this morning, so I'm looking after it until he gets back."_

_"O-oh, I see. Sorry, uncle. I thought you were a--you know. Thief. Siwon-sshi never leaves his phone behind, you see..."_

_"He does seem a highly dependable young man, this Siwon-sshi. Is he your colleague?"_

_"Ah, in a manner of speaking. He's my boss."_

_Your boss? But he's still so young!"_

_"His father owns the company. To be fair, he worked his way up, too. He's an absolute workaholic. And he lets it out on us sometimes, especially on the slackers."_

_"Young and ambitious people these days... Does he treat everyone like that?"_

_"...Well, now that you mentioned it... not all of us, no. There's this one person he treats a little differently. It makes me a bit jealous, but that person is a good person. A bit of a ditz too, so it's not difficult to see why the boss loves to spoil him."_

_"Hmm. A ditz, you say."_

_"Ah, crap. The presscon's starting. Sorry, uncle, but I have to go. And sorry for mistaking you for a thief earlier. But wow, talking to you helped me feel a little better, somehow..."_

_"That's good to hear, young man. Sungmin-sshi, was it? I'll send your regards to Siwon-sshi and Donghae-ah."_

_"Oh, thank you! Please tell them I--hang on, Donghae-ah? Why do you know Donghae-ah?! Hello--"_

_Halbae squinted at the smartphone, then fully pressed the end call button with a triumphant smile. "There you are! Who says I'm too old for these things, ha?"_

 

* * *

 

Siwon hurried towards Donghae's room, but was not surprised to find it empty. 

He groaned in frustration and threw his bag into a corner. The bed was clean and the sheets were unwrinkled. He looked in the drawers, under the bed and in the bathroom, but he couldn't find his mobile phone anywhere. As far as he remembered, he was still holding it when Leeteuk came by that morning. He must've dropped it then, and someone took it for safekeeping.

Siwon tried not to panic. He wanted to return as soon as he realized his  ~~life~~  mobile went missing, but lunch with both Kangin and Leeteuk held him back. It was another eventful lunchtime; Siwon told Kangin about Leeteuk's threatening message over lunch, and before he knew it, Kangin was calling Leeteuk to explain there was nothing going on behind his back. Leeteuk suddenly arrived, and Siwon was trapped into spending the first few minutes of lunch witnessing Kangin and Leeteuk fight and make up. They eventually remembered they weren't alone, and the attention was shifted to Siwon and his minor misunderstanding with Donghae.

Siwon resisted the urge to pull his hair out. The two had agreed to help him set up a romantic dinner for Donghae, but he had to find Donghae first and grovel for forgiveness. 

Siwon roamed Donghae's house, turning left into the hallway which he remembered led straight to the dining area. Maybe he would come across someone who could direct him to Donghae's workshop, or anywhere leading to his missing fiance.

"Hey Siwon-hyung! What are you doing?" Henry asked, surprised.

Siwon managed to restrain himself from jumping at Henry's sudden appearance. "I'm looking for Donghae. Is he still in his workshop, by any chance?"

"Oh! He went to the dance studio." Henry replied.

_Of all the days to be a busybody..._  Siwon sighed, as he ran a hand through his hair. "Can you tell me how to get there?"

"Sure, hyung!" Henry said happily. "I heard you went to the dojo today, yeah? Just turn right at the end of the same street. The dance studio is the second building to your left."

"Great! Thanks." Siwon replied and made his way to the front door. 

"Hyung, wait up!" Henry called, suddenly remembering something. "Halbae asked me to hand this to you."

Henry handed Siwon a familiar mobile phone. "My phone! Thanks, Henry!" Siwon said happily, as he unlocked his phone and browsed his unread messages.

"One more thing, Siwon-hyung." Henry started, biting his lip in worry. "Halbae said he might have pissed off Donghae-hyung a bit."

Siwon raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I don't know the full details. But there are only two places Donghae-hyung goes to when he wants to think or when he's angry. One is the workshop, and the other the dance studio." Henry said. "If he's pissed off at halbae, he heads to the dance studio because it's farther."

Siwon nodded, his face scrunching worriedly. "Should I just wait for him to get home, then?"

"Er, halbae was hoping you could calm him down, actually." Henry replied sheepishly.

_Halbae wanted me to...?_  Siwon's chest lightened at the news. 

"I'll try," Siwon promised. He continued his way to the front door and threw Henry his signature wave.

Siwon walked the same path he did that morning. He took in the afternoon air, his mind running overdrive with so many scenarios on how he will approach Donghae. Almost a full day without Donghae and he was already a nervous wreck. He tried to calm his furiously beating heart as he got closer to the studio. 

He turned right as Henry instructed. He took a huge gulp of air as soon as he spotted the dance studio.   _Get yourself together!'_ Siwon said to himself.

"Okay," he muttered. He mentally steeled himself before finally stepping inside.

"Hi! You must be Siwon-sshi!" An energetic young man greeted him by the receiving area.

"Umm, hello...?" Siwon replied awkwardly.

"Sorry, I must have sounded like a creepy stalker. Henry-hyung called to tell me you were coming over. I'm Taemin, by the way." The attentive man named Taemin said.

"Well, I won't hold you here any longer. Donghae-hyung's over there." Taemin pointed at the far end of the hallway. Siwon muttered his thanks before heading towards the instructed direction.

Upon reaching the last room, he heard upbeat music from the other side of the door. Deciding he will wait for Donghae to calm his nerves first, he cracked the door open. The room was spacious and the door was far from where Donghae was dancing, enough for Siwon to creep inside the room without Donghae noticing.

Siwon slid in quietly. He was just about to make his way to the couch he saw, when he made the mistake of looking at Donghae.

Donghae stretched his arms in an arc and spun full circle without warning . He continued to move to the beat of the song, dancing effortlessly and without strain.

Siwon stood mesmerized, unable to move any further. Every little thing he learned about Donghae made Siwon fall harder for the man.

Siwon was taken out of his daze by a loud gasp from Donghae.

"S...Siwon-ah!" Donghae exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Siwon's reflection on the many mirrors of the studio. "W-what are you doing here?"

"You..." Siwon coughed, clearing his throat. "You've been avoiding me."

"I'm sorry," Donghae reasoned, head bent as his sweaty hair covered his eyes. "I just had a lot on my mind today."

Siwon took the initiative, taking huge steps until he was right in front of Donghae. However, Donghae continued to study his feet, refusing to meet Siwon's eyes.

Siwon swept Donghae's hair to the side to get a clearer view of his face, but the latter refused to budge. Not one to give up, he finally lifted Donghae's chin. "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I think I should be the one asking for your forgiveness. Ever since Sungmin called, you've been acting strangely. Whatever I've done to offend you. I'm sorry, Donghae-ah."

"W-what? You don't have to... I've been acting like a --" But before Donghae could continue with whatever it was he was about to say, Siwon pulled Donghae into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Just for a few minutes." Siwon whispered. "Let's stay like this, just for a few minutes."

Siwon tightened his grip around Donghae's shoulders. Just the thought of today's misunderstanding was driving him insane.

Donghae felt too weak to move, and could merely nod as he let himself be engulfed in Siwon's protecting arms. Even without voicing it, he knew this lie they started was going to be his downfall. But he was going to see it through, just like he promised.

Something was changing. Siwon and Donghae could both feel it. But they had to think a step ahead of their impulsive emotions, to think long-term and realistically.  _Like adults._

Wrapped warmly in each other's arms, they both shared the same, painful thought: 

_"How can I let you go?"_


	4. Chapter 4

It was Siwon's turn to wake up early. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at Donghae's sleeping form. He pulled the comforter over his head, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment as he remembered yesterday's event.

"What the hell?" Siwon muttered to himself, throwing the covers and deciding to take a morning run.

Siwon grabbed a small piece of paper and scribbled a quick message. He didn't want to spend the day apart, but he needed some time alone to clear his head from yesterday's emotional rollercoaster.

 

_Went for a quick run. Will be back in a few minutes._

_\- Siwon_

 

Siwon crept out of the room carefully to avoid waking Donghae up. He spent about half an hour both exploring and running around the spacious backyard of Donghae's family. He made a beeline for the kitchen as soon as he came back, hoping to talk to Donghae's brothers for a planned surprise. He found Kangin and Leeteuk bickering over a pot on the stove.

Kangin peered into the pot and made a face. "I'm not eating that," he said.

"You don't have a choice, Youngwoon-ah," said Leeteuk sternly. "The doctor said you needed to cut down on fat and increase your vegetable portions."

"Well, yeah, but how can I eat something that looks like boiled grass?!"

Leeteuk's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to imply something about my cooking?"

Siwon coughed. The pair turned to him immediately.

"Siwon-ah!" Leeteuk smiled at him. "You woke up quite early today."

"I went for a morning jog," said Siwon. "Helped ease my mind a bit."

Leeteuk frowned. "Are you and Hae still fighting?"

"On the contrary..." Siwon rubbed his nape. "I'm planning to take him out for dinner. And I wanted to ask your help for--"

"Ohh! How exciting!" Leeteuk exclaimed with a clap of his hands, his eyes glimmering at Siwon's words. "I'll help you out any way I can. Ohh, I so can't wait to hear all about it...!"

Siwon looked at Kangin with wary apprehension. The other man shook his head and mouthed  _Now you've done it!_  over Leeteuk's shoulder.

The oblivious Leeteuk pressed on. "When are you planning to do it? Have you reserved a restaurant?"

"No. But I want to keep it simple, for a change. Private. Quiet." Siwon scratched his cheek. "I don't know much about Mokpo, and Donghae has only ever talked about how great the sea is, so I have no idea about the local restaurants..."

"My brother's a fairly simple person, so simple, quiet and private is a good start. And a seaside restaurant sounds romantic." said Leeteuk thoughtfully. He looked at Kangin. "In which case, that guy's restaurant might be the best place, right?"

"Kibum's family restaurant," said Kangin, smacking his lips. "Good one, Jeong-su."

"Why don't you take Donghae to Oedaldo, Mokpo's love island, while Youngwoon and I make those dinner reservations for tomorrow?" Leeteuk said.

Siwon blinked. "Tomorrow?" he echoed.

"Yeah. Any Oedaldo trip with Donghae is a definite overnight stay."  Kangin grinned. "You'll understand when you tell him."

"Thank you," Siwon replied gratefully, waving goodbye as he hurried to return to Donghae's room.

Upon his return, Siwon noticed Donghae was still heavily asleep. Chuckling to himself, he took a quick bath. As soon as he was dressed in his simple khaki pants and white polo, he decided to wake Donghae. 

Siwon carefully knelt at the corner of Donghae's makeshift bed, and shook the sleeping man slowly.

"Donghae-ah," Siwon called gently, sweeping some stray hair away from Donghae's face.

Donghae stirred in his sleep before his eyes fluttered open and met Siwon's. Donghae let out an unmanly squeak before pulling the comforter over his head. Siwon chuckled, forcing the comforter and Donghae out of his hiding spot.

"Come on, we're heading out." Siwon said.

"O-okay," Donghae replied.

Donghae attempted to fix his bed before Siwon swatted the comforter away from his hands and shooed him to take his bath.

"Where are we heading?" Donghae asked as he rummaged for a set of clean clothes.

"Your hyung suggested we head to Oedaldo." Siwon replied.

"We're going  _camping_?" Donghae squeaked, his tone excited.

"I'm not sure." Siwon said, surprised at Donghae's sudden cheerfulness.  _And no one said anything about camping!_

"Well, it's Oedaldo, so we are." Donghae said with finality as he shut the door to the bathroom.

Siwon could only blink in confusion.  _Well, that explained why the reservations were for tomorrow._

 

* * *

 

Siwon smiled forcefully as they headed to the infamous love island. He had no qualms about traveling at sea, but the ferry to Oedaldo was small and packed. His only consolation was Donghae bouncing in excitement beside him.

"You can see my high school from here," Donghae said enthusiastically, flinging his arms everywhere and pointing at several places at once.

Siwon could only nod trying to keep his nausea at bay. He tightened his grip on the railing and forced himself to listen to Donghae's ramblings.

Donghae suddenly placed his hand on top of Siwon's, loosening Siwon's right hand and taking it into both his hands. "You should've said something before we boarded the ferry."

"Hmm?" Siwon answered, distracted by the way Donghae was stroking his fingers.

"I know you hate crowds, so why did you want to head to Oedaldo?" Donghae asked. "We didn't have to go, if you're not--"

Siwon shook his head in disagreement. "It's just a short ride, Donghae-ah. And I know you've been wanting to play in the waters."

"Thank you," Donghae said quietly.

Siwon was somewhat able to relax as Donghae continued to distract him with small touches that made Siwon think of other things instead of the crowd around him. And before they knew it, the ferry was docking in the island.

 

* * *

 

Siwon hefted their bag over one shoulder as soon as they arrived. Donghae ran into the sea, splashing the waters and playing around like a little child. Siwon could only snigger and wonder how Donghae could have been the same person working for him in Devil.

Donghae, upon hearing Siwon's laughter, grinned to himself before splashing water towards Siwon's direction. Siwon mildly gasped before placing their bag in a secure area of the beach and running away from Donghae. Although he tried his best to escape, he got caught in the end and both of them started playing around in the water, despite being fully clothed.

A few minutes later, Donghae and Siwon decided to sit on the beach to rest. Both were somewhat wet, and the sand was started to cling everywhere, especially their clothes. Donghae laid down in the sand, a smile still plastered to his face.

"Ah! So relaxing!" Donghae said, lifting a hand towards the sky.

Siwon stared at a distance, as tourists and locals alike continued to fill up the island.

"We should probably dress into a more comfortable attire." Donghae said, making a move to stand up.

Donghae stood directly in front of Siwon covering his view of anything and stretched out his hand. "C'mon, I'll show you around the beach after we dress up."

The two headed towards the public restrooms to change into some board shorts and comfy tees. Donghae was already waiting several minutes after Siwon had finally struggled out of his wet and sand-filled pants. Donghae was used to changing under the same circumstances, as he often ran to the waters in full clothing in his younger years.

"There's not much to see here, but do you want to head to the lighthouse?" Donghae asked, looking anywhere but at Siwon's very defined muscles.

"Sure, why not?" Siwon replied.

Donghae led Siwon to a small path which divided the beach to the left and the mountains to the right. They continued walking until they spotted the little lighthouse and stopped to survey the view.

"Thank you again for bringing me here, Siwon-ah." Donghae said.

"I wanted to take you out, just the two of us, to make up for yesterday." Siwon replied.

Donghae breathed deeply, closing his eyes at the soft touch of the mid-afternoon breeze. "The last time I was here was when Appa was still alive." Donghae shared. "I already came out to the family and he took me here because he wanted to be the first one to do so."

"You didn't come here when you and..." Siwon started but then decided to stop himself.

"No. You're the first one outside the family."

"I would have loved to have met your father." Siwon said, deliberately changing the subject as he forced to hide his grin after Donghae's revelation.

"Me too. He would be amazed with all your stories." Donghae said wistfully. "I came to Seoul to continue his dreams, but in the end I wasn't even able to show my accomplishments."

"Hey!" Siwon interrupted, turning Donghae so they were facing each other. "You made it. Your father would have been so proud. Never think otherwise."

"Thanks, Siwon-ah." Donghae looked away to hide the blush from Siwon's never ending compliments. "We should set-up our tent before all the good spots are taken." Donghae said.

 

* * *

 

Donghae sat at the sides, watching Siwon struggle with their tent. He tried offering his help, but Siwon said he had everything under control, when clearly he didn't.

"Maybe I should..." Donghae started making a move to grab one of the poles but stopped as soon as he received a glare from Siwon.

"I'm fine," Siwon growled, connecting the poles unsuccessfully.

Donghae could only shake his head as he allowed Siwon to continue his battle with the tent.

Donghae opened the basket of food his mother had somehow sent to Oedaldo. He shuddered as he read the attached letter, feeling his mother's frustration for not informing her of the sudden trip. She must've bribed someone just to deliver the basket to them. Then again, at least they could enjoy the sunset and dinner in their tent, as soon as Siwon decided to admit defeat building it.

"I'm going to go grab some drinks. Hopefully you've made some progress when I get back." Donghae said, tired of watching Siwon running back and forth assembling the tent.

"Damnit, how hard could this be?!" Siwon muttered to himself, as he finally pieced together the poles and was now inserting them into their corresponding flaps.

By the time, Donghae returned from buying drinks, Siwon was already struggling to raise the tent. Donghae placed the drinks and a guitar he borrowed from the shop owner beside their basket and rushed to Siwon's opposite side. This time, Siwon acknowledged Donghae's hand and the two of them were able to straighten and raise the tent.

Immediately after staking the tent securely, Siwon went inside to lie down and enjoy his hard work.

"Just in time for the sunset!" Donghae said, as he grabbed two cokes and his guitar.

Donghae sat inside the tent as Siwon made some space for him. He dangled the cold drink in front of Siwon and smiled as the sky slowly turned into orange to signal the end of the day. 

Donghae strummed the guitar and a relaxing tune engulfed them.

 

_///When morning comes and the sunlight wraps around us_

_Even if I don’t get up, don’t wake me up_

_Touch me like the spring wind, everything about you is beautiful_

_I’ll pull you in like this oh baby and whisper that I love you////_

 

Siwon sat up in surprise as he heard Donghae's singing voice. He resisted the urge to just stare at Donghae like a starstruck fan, and diverted his attention to the ongoing sunset.

"You have a nice voice," Siwon said, as Donghae finished his song.

"Thank you," Donghae replied shyly. "Do you know how to play the guitar?"

Siwon slowly took the guitar from Donghae.

As Siwon randomly strummed the guitar, Donghae shared. "Heechul-hyung, Henry-ah and I, we were all taught the guitar by Appa. We went on camping trips, play the guitar all night and Omma will prepare the delicious food."

"My father doesn't know I play the guitar." Siwon said, as he stopped playing. "It was an act of rebelliousness on my side during my younger years."

Donghae looked at Siwon in question.

"My father used to say that playing the guitar will bring no profit to the company." Siwon continued. "The clients wouldn't be impressed with my guitar skills, and they'd rather play a game of poker or golf."

"Sometimes playing an instrument can help ease our minds, just like reading a book. It won't necessarily please anyone, but it can make you happy." Donghae said. "I know you want to please your father, Siwon-ah. But you should be happy too, it is your life after all." Donghae continued as he offered his hand towards Siwon's direction.

Siwon stared at the hand and its hidden meaning before grabbing it and lightly squeezing it.

"Right now in this place with you, I am--happy."

 

* * *

 

They set off back to port early the next morning. The small ferry had less passengers, which made the ride less uncomfortable than the first. Donghae, on the other hand, was sleeping peacefully at his side. His head occasionally lolled onto Siwon's shoulder, and Siwon took it as a welcome distraction from discomfort.

To Siwon's bewilderment, Donghae's sleepiness immediately disappeared when the ferry docked on the main island. He had sprung up excitedly, dragging a dazed Siwon off the boat, only to run off to a row of shops and stalls a few meters off the docks. 

Siwon saw the overhanging sign, and groaned. He should've known that Donghae would be excited for the souvenir shops.

"We can get this design in pink for Sungmin-ah. And get this toy for Shindong--look, Siwon-ah, they have discounts for these, too...!" 

Siwon groaned as Donghae dragged him to the next stall. If Siwon had his way, he would have ordered two or three designs in bulk and gave them as generic gifts. For Donghae, however, everything had to be special.

Donghae, oblivious to Siwon's exasperation, hummed thoughtfully at the rows of Mokpo-inspired keychains. He began to take them off the rack one by one, reciting the names of his colleagues as he did so--"We'll get one for Ryeowook-ah, for Changmin-ah, for Sooyung-ah..."

The shop owner chuckled beside Siwon. "If I didn't know Donghae-sshi, I would've mistaken him for a tourist!"

Donghae certainly looked more like a tourist than Siwon as they emerged from the shop a few minutes later, bags of souvenirs hanging from either arm. "We didn't forget anyone, did we?" He asked worriedly. 

Siwon rolled his eyes as he took a few bags from Donghae. "I think you've bought enough for the entire company," he said. 

They strolled leisurely through a few more shops. Siwon bought the odd souvenir every now and then (he got Minho and Kyuhyun sea-themed snowglobes filled with shells and tiny, colourful fish--"seaglobes", the shop owner called them), as Donghae happily chit-chatted with the owners and a few customers. 

"Time sure flies by," a motherly customer sighed. "You're now at  _that_ age, aren't you, Donghae-sshi?" She winked. "Any plans of getting married soon?" 

There was a loud clatter as Siwon dropped the pencil-case he was holding.

"Ummm..." Donghae glanced at Siwon desperately, but before Siwon could bail them out, a crowd of  _ahjumma_  had flocked around Donghae, tittering excitedly at the mention of "marriage".

"What's this? Hyangsook-sshi's son is finally tying the knot?"

"How exciting!"

"And I was hoping to introduce Sooyeon while Donghae-ah's here..."

"Wait, you've got it all wrong!" Donghae waved his hands. "I'm not getting married yet!"

The crowd became even livelier. 

"Are you looking for a girlfriend, Donghae-ah?"

"My daughter would love to meet you!"

" _I'm going out with someone!_ " Donghae shouted, stunning the crowd of women to silence. "Um, sorry. I'm going out with someone," he repeated sheepishly. "I'm not really interested in dating anyone else..."

Donghae caught Siwon staring intently at him, and quickly looked away. The tip of his ears had turned bright red. It made Siwon's stomach flutter.

The ladies, on the other hand, exchanged knowing smiles. "How nice to be young and in love," said one. The rest nodded in agreement.

Siwon saw the opportunity to intervene. "Excuse me, ladies," he cut in smoothly. He wrapped an arm around Donghae's shoulders. "Sorry to interrupt, but Donghae-ah here is touring me around Mokpo. I'm afraid we've got to run..." 

Siwon put his dimpled smile to full effect. The trick seemed to work, as the  _ahjummas_ almost immediately nodded in agreement.

With a deep breath, Siwon added, "You know, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation earlier, about Donghae-ah's love life?" From the corner of his eye, Siwon could see Donghae's horrified face, but he pressed on. "Well, you're right. This man is a fantastic boyfriend. I can definitely vouch for it."

Siwon bowed and pulled Donghae out from the shop without looking back. 

They walked away from the souvenir shops, silent save for the plastic bags that crinkled merrily at their every step. They only stopped when they reached their car. Siwon let go of Donghae's hand then, and the pair finally looked at each other. 

Siwon was first to smile. "I can't believe I just saved a guy from a group of old women."

"Hey!" Donghae pouted. "There's no fighting them when they gang up on you like that!"

It was as if another wall between them was broken through. Siwon and Donghae broke into laughter.

"I didn't know you're so popular with the old ladies, Donghae-ah," Siwon teased.

Donghae stuck out a tongue. "What can I say? My charm cuts across all ages."

Siwon watched Donghae load their souvenirs into the car with a fond smile. With a surge of courage, he called out, "Hey, Donghae-ah?"

"Mmm?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "All the things I said back at the shop? I want you to know I meant them."

Donghae looked surprised by the confession, but his face quickly eased to a bright, generous smile. "Thank you, Siwon-ah. So did I."

 

* * *

 

Kangin took out a carton of orange juice from the fridge. "So? How was the Love Island?"

Siwon thought about Donghae's excited face as he ran out to sea. Remembered Donghae blushing before the ahjummas in the souvenir shop as he said,  _I'm not really interested in dating anyone else...._

Whatever pain he had to endure to get there was definitely worth it.

"...Yeah. The smile on your face tells me everything I need to know, brother." 

"Huh?" Siwon's hands flew to his face. Was he becoming that obvious?

Kangin took a swig off the carton, and leant against the counter with a naughty grin. "I took Teukkie-ah to Oedaldo back when we were still dating." he said wistfully. "Man, the things we got up to. It was if the beach had changed Teukkie into a totally different person--"

He yelped when a dishtowel smacked the back of his head. "I remember it well, dear. I had a lovely time. And I told you not to drink juice off the carton!" said Leeteuk testily. He then smiled at Siwon. "I've made a reservation at Kibum's, Siwon-ah. You're all set for dinner."

Siwon grinned shyly. "Actually, I have one more favor to ask..."

 

* * *

 

Donghae stretched out with a contented groan as he finished packing away the last of their souvenirs. Siwon had since grown bored of watching him dither about his choice of gifts, and had stepped out to help out Kangin in the car shop. It was almost dinnertime, and Donghae thought he could invite Siwon to try out a local restaurant. He peeked into the kitchen, and spotted Henry and Leeteuk dicing ingredients and rolling them up into delicious-looking gimbap.

"Teukkie-hyung, Henry-ah, have you seen Siwon-ah?"

The brothers looked at each other. "He went out with Kangin-hyung," said Henry. "Ah, but he left this note for you." 

Donghae took the small piece of paper that Henry pulled out from his pocket. The note contained a short, simple message:

 

_Join me for dinner at 7. Bada will lead the way._

 

Donghae raised his eyebrow, though he couldn't fight back the wide, flattered grin that spread across his lips. "Do you two know something about this?"

Henry looked away guiltily, while Leeteuk just rolled his eyes at him. "Hurry up and get dressed, he's waiting. And wear something nice but casual!" he added quickly, remembering the time when Donghae was invited to a movie date and he dressed up formally with a coat and tie.

Donghae only wished dressing up was that easy. Clothes and socks flew everywhere as Donghae dug into his closet, unsure of what to wear on his first official dinner date with Siwon. Most of his dress shirts were in his flat back in Seoul, so he was forced to choose between a gaily multi-colored floral shirt (a gift from Heechul), and a plain, three-quarter sleeve top which he had not worn in years. 

With a defeated sigh, he pulled the top over him and kicked off his shorts, hopping around as he slid into a pair of dark, tight-fitting jeans while searching for his shoes.

"You're going to hurt yourself." Heechul was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, an amused smirk on his face.

"You are not helping," Donghae gritted.  _Where on earth are those damn shoes?_

Heechul rolled his eyes and strode purposefully towards Donghae's bed. He leant down, tsked, and pulled out the missing pair of dress shoes.

"You're hopeless." Heechul sighed. "Put those on while I style your hair. Seriously, that city brat's going to get an earful from me when he gets back. He just sprung this half-assed plan on all of us..."

Donghae sat on the bed obediently as Heechul rummaged through his drawers. His eyes trailed towards the bedside table, where he spotted his hand-crafted gift, encased in a simple blue box. His chest tightened nervously.

They were leaving Mokpo in two days. The moment they step off the train onto Seoul, reason and propriety would pry Siwon away from him again, despite their marriage arrangement. Mokpo had to be locked away as a happy, cherished secret.  _It was now or never._

Donghae took the box and slid it into his pocket.

Heechul finally turned around. He sized Donghae up with a bite of a lip before squirting some styling gel onto his hands. "Okay. Time to turn you into the hottest prince of them all, Cinderella."  

 

* * *

 

Leaving the house took some time. Leeteuk stopped him every once in a while to take photos, while Heechul kept on fussing over his hair, pushing back stubborn strands into their places. In the end, it took Henry's calm voice of reason  ("We're all excited for Hae-hyung, but he's going to be late!") to send him on his way.

Donghae slid into Bada and looked around for any clue on his destination, but found no note or map from Siwon. He started the car up with a frown. What on earth did Siwon mean by his note?

The small display brightened out to its welcome screen. Donghae waited for the screen to change into the standard dashboard, but to his surprise, it faded into something else. _A map._  It zoomed into Mokpo, and traced its route from Donghae's house to a place near the Maritime museum.

The gears clicked into place.  _Bada will lead the way_.

"Let's get started," the GPS-navigated map announced, start and end points blinking on the screen. Donghae looked at his destination. He only knew of one restaurant near the Maritime museum...

He swallowed nervously as he made his way to Kibum's restaurant. After their misunderstanding, his feelings for Siwon seemed to have amplified, especially now that Siwon was showering him with attention.

Donghae had just made the last turn to Kibum's when the GPS announced, "Turn right in 100 metres."

Donghae blinked. He could see Kibum's restaurant at a distance, but it was surely more than a hundred metres away.

But the GPS insisted. "Turn right in 100 metres."

Donghae looked to his right. He spotted a small road that branched off to the side, inconspicuous until the GPS pointed it out. Donghae wondered if Siwon had configured the GPS incorrectly. It was unlike Siwon to make a mistake like that, however.

With a shrug, Donghae turned right onto the small road. 

The trees lined the road thinly, and through the gaps he could see the flat expanse of the sea. The patch eventually cleared out into a wide, open space of dark sand. In the middle of it was a small, stone pavilion, bright and inviting with the warm, flickering glow of candle-light. Donghae spotted one of their cars parked to the side. He parked beside it, his heart pounding loudly with disbelief and excitement. 

He stifled a gasp as he reached the entrance, where a grinning Kangin held a bouquet of roses. "We've been waiting," he winked, and placed the bouquet in Donghae's arms. A small card was wedged between the flowers. Donghae flipped it over.

_Just a little more_ , it read.

Kangin patted him on the back. "You kids behave, alright? You're all alone out here, after all."

"Kangin-hyung!" Donghae protested.

Kangin sniggered. "I'll be nearby if you need anything."

Donghae watched Kangin drive away, then turned to face the pavilion.  _Siwon is waiting in there._  With a deep breath, he patted the small package in his pocket, and slowly gathered up his courage as he made his way down the candle-lit path.

 

* * *

 

Siwon almost spilt his drink when he read Kangin's text.

_He's here._

Siwon jumped up and flitted around to ensure everything was perfect. He flattened the tablecloth, straightened out the utensils, re-arranged the dishes. The rush of panic was unlike him, and he was glad there was no one around to witness it.

Thank God for Kangin and Leeteuk, who were both extremely knowledgeable about Mokpo's romantic spots. Kangin had arranged for the food to be served at the small pavilion, where there was greater privacy and intimacy, while Leeteuk and Siwon worked on the flower and candle arrangements. They waved Siwon off when he asked how he could repay them for all their help.

"Just do your best for Donghae-ah. That's all we want," said Kangin seriously.

Over the last few days, Siwon had begun to gradually understand that his feelings for Donghae were not just some passing attraction. He genuinely, desperately wanted to learn more, to spend more time with Donghae. To make him laugh, blush, want. To make him love--

_Don't go there,_ said a snide voice in Siwon's head.  _How could he, when you forced him into this arrangement?_

Siwon smiled bitterly.  _That's right. Donghae deserves better._

Siwon was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He looked up, and what he saw made his chest drum quicker.

Donghae was clutching the bouquet he prepared, his face open with wonder and disbelief. The shadows sharpened his nose and his cheekbones, and the warm light danced in his eyes. They fell unto Siwon's, and Donghae broke into a bright smile.

"So this is why you left me alone to deal with the souvenirs," he accused jokingly. "A dinner at Kibum's."

The lightness of Donghae's tone unraveled the tight knot in Siwon's stomach. He grinned back. "Much more enjoyable, don't you think?"

Donghae's eyes crinkled. "It most definitely is."

 

* * *

 

Conversation flowed easily between them as they talked about Kibum's exceptional cuisine. Kibum had served them a feast of Korean specialties--they had Gogigui, Sundubu Jjigae, Nakji Bokkeum, and Jjinmandu, Kibum's specialty. Siwon had some reservations when he first saw the restaurant, but he was glad to be proven wrong.

"I knew Kibum from college," said Donghae. "He was offered a good management position in Seoul, but he had to turn it down for his family restaurant."

"It must have been a difficult decision," said Siwon.

"You're in a similar situation, too," Donghae pointed out.

Siwon thoughtfully chewed on a Mandu. "I've always wanted to continue my father's business," he said. "It's that ridiculous marriage condition that was putting me off. It's frustrating, but I'm beginning to see some wisdom in the old man's ways... After all, it did give me a chance to meet your family and experience Mokpo with you." Siwon reached over and squeezed Donghae's wrist with a soft smile. "Thank you."

Donghae played with his fingers as he debated the perfect timing to give his present to Siwon. 

"Donghae-ah, is there something wrong?" Siwon asked as he noticed Donghae's uneasy behavior.

Donghae heaved a sigh, mentally preparing himself.

"I--," Donghae started, reaching for the box inside his jacket pocket. He took Siwon's hand into his own before placing the box with a snap. "Here."

Siwon carefully opened the box and lifted the silver bracelet. His eyes widened.

"Donghae-ah," he said, his voice catching in his throat. "It's... it's very beautiful."

"I--I made it in my workshop the other day." Donghae said, turning to survey their surroundings.

Siwon clasped the bracelet into his hand, smiling proudly at Donghae's creation.

"Thank you," Siwon said.

Siwon took Donghae by the chin and turned his face towards him. He slid his hand onto Donghae's cheek, and lightly caressed his face. They stared at each other without any words spoken. 

Before Siwon realized what he was doing, he had leaned in to kiss Donghae on the lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the reviews. We're almost at the finish line! Happy New Year! :DDD

For a few minutes, Donghae lay staring at the ceiling. Him waking up before Siwon was a rare occasion, but he had a good reason to feel jittery so early in the morning.

Siwon kissed him last night.

It was not a deeply passionate kiss--certainly not the open-mouthed kisses he often saw in rom-coms or epics like  _Titanic_ \--nor was it like the curious kiss he and Hyuk had on their first date. It felt platonic. A bit tentative, like it was trying to prove something.

But whatever the reason, the fact remains that  _Siwon kissed him last night_ . And there was that odd flutter in his stomach, his heart picking up pace, the excited prickle up his spine that made the hairs on his nape stand on its end. Siwon kissed him, and it felt wonderful.

And Siwon? There was a brief look of surprise on his face when they parted, and it was a moment when something, anything could have happened--until Siwon laughed lightly and forked an egg roll, dispelling the moment completely. 

Donghae found it easy to get carried away. He hated himself for it, sometimes, and Siwon was making it a little easier by playing either-or. The trip to Oedaldo, the surprise dinner... surely, no one can blame Donghae if it got him thinking. Nor if it made him feel a little funny in the chest.

Only a lone, nasty voice reined him in:  _He's a go-getter, this Siwon Choi. He'd take it further if he really wanted it, wouldn't he?_

Donghae grabbed a pillow and groaned loudly into it. On the bed above him, the springs creaked as Siwon shifted onto his back, the man still snoring lightly.

When he couldn't take the many thoughts running in his head, Donghae decided to go for a morning run. He peeked at Siwon's sleeping form, unable to stop a small smile upon seeing Siwon's relaxed face. He arranged Siwon's blankets, which had fallen off him when he moved. After a moment's hesitation, he stole a kiss on his forehead. (As thanks for last night, he reasoned to himself.)

He scribbled a note and placed it on the bedside table, making sure Siwon will not miss his message. He closed the door gently, then padded to the kitchen to grab a small bottle of water.

Someone behind Donghae coughed as he was drinking, gaining his attention.

"So brother, how was your date last night?" Heechul asked, blocking the only exit.

Donghae nearly choked on his drink when Heechul winked and made suggestive, funny faces, implying something about his night.

"Hyuuung!" Donghae said, forcing himself not to blush. "Nothing happened."

"Oh really?" Heechul continued to prod Donghae.

"Yes really." Donghae shook his head as he forced Heechul away from the door. 

Heechul grabbed Donghae by the arm. "Then you won't mind if we borrowed Siwon tonight for a good dose of Mokpo entertainment?"

"We?" Donghae asked.

"Me and Kangin. Your hyungs want to spend time with your boyfriend, too," Heechul said. "Go spend time with Henry. He's been moaning about how he saw even less of you now that you're here."

"But..." Donghae tried to reason.

"You know how Henry adores you. Give the kid some time." Heechul continued. "And yes, we promise to take care of Siwon, to keep him from trouble, et cetera. Come on, don't you trust your hyungs?"

"Actually, I don't." Donghae muttered to himself. "Especially you."

"What did you say?!" Heechul said, noticing Donghae muttering to himself.

"I said, yes! Okay! You can have Siwon for the night." He then scowled. "But if anything happens to him..."

"What could possibly happen to a guy like that in Mokpo?" Heechul asked innocently.

Donghae sighed as he was finally allowed to leave, but the feral grin on Heechul's face made him wonder if he made the right choice.

 

* * *

 

Siwon turned towards Donghae's direction, only to find an empty space. With a start, Siwon sat up and rummaged for his mobile phone. As he reached for it over the bedside table, he felt a paper above it and quickly read its contents.

 

_Didn't bother to wake you up. Will just take a morning run._

_See you in a bit._

_\- Donghae_

 

Siwon ruffled his hair before deciding to do some exercise of his own. He planned on doing just a light workout as he didn't want to stray too far, in case Donghae returned from his workout. He finally settled on the open space behind Donghae's house.

The two still had a lot to talk about, and tomorrow was already halbae's birthday. The week was burning quicker than Siwon wanted to. After yesterday's dinner, he needed to somewhat label their so-called relationship. The kiss came from absolutely nowhere ( _Idiot! What did you do that for?!_ Siwon had been asking himself since last night), but Donghae had taken it well. Siwon wouldn't have known what to do if Donghae pushed him away.

Then again, Donghae wasn't the problem here. It was him, and the convoluted situation he had dug both of them into.

Siwon was brooding over his idiocy while doing stretching exercises when he spotted Hyangsook lugging what appeared to be something twice her size. He hurriedly dusted himself and rushed over to help.

"I have three sons and not one of them is willing to help their mother," Hyangsook muttered to herself as she dragged one of the decors for her father-in-law's birthday.

Hyangsook gave a startled gasp when the package was carefully removed from her hands.

"Why are you carrying such a heavy thing, Hyangsook-sshi?" Siwon greeted.

Hyangsook beamed seeing Siwon's dimpled smile. "My sons have deserted me to accomplish the rest of the preparations,  unfortunately."

"Well, good thing I saw you then. Let me help you carry this." Siwon volunteered.

"My, what a gentleman." Hyangsook replied, her mood lifting at the prospect of another kindhearted son-in-law.

Siwon continued to help Hyangsook until all the heavy-looking decorations were inside the house. As they worked, Hyangsook shared stories about Donghae's childhood, mostly how he was his father's favorite and how he could easily charm anyone.

 

* * *

 

Siwon drummed his fingers nervously at the kitchen counter as he waited for Hyangsook's return. He was covered in so much sweat, and he decided a good long bath was necessary after helping her with the heavy lifting. However, before he could escape to Donghae's room, he was asked to wait for a few minutes for something Hyangsook wanted to give him.

Siwon resisted the urge to bite his nails or pull his hair. Mothers were so much scarier than any client he has ever dealt with, especially when you were fake-dating their son.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Siwon-sshi." Hyangsook said as she arrived at the kitchen.

Siwon sat attentively and replied. "No worries, Hyangsook-sshi."

Hyangsook crossed from the door towards the counter, presenting a small box in front of Siwon.

"I want you to have this." Hyangsook said, smiling softly as she lifted the lid of the box.

Inside the box were two identical rings that were a bit thick and consisted of simple carvings at the side. Upon closer inspection, both bands had the H of the family engraved inside.

"These rings were created by Seung Yeon before he died. In case he couldn't make it to his sons' wedding days, he wanted to give them a present to remember him by." Hyangsook explained.

Siwon gingerly touched the rings, unable to give Hyangsook a proper reply.

"I'm not pressuring you into anything, Siwon-sshi. But as I've mentioned before, Donghae hasn't introduced or brought anyone from Seoul to the family." Hyangsook said, patting Siwon's shoulder.

"Thank you, Hyangsook-sshi. I will take care of it." Siwon finally replied, his voice trembling slightly.

Hyangsook clapped her hands before shooing Siwon away. "Off you go now, before Donghae returns."

Upon reaching Donghae's room, Siwon immediately went for his bag to secure the box and grab a new set of clothes. In all honesty, Siwon was trying to stop himself from having a mental breakdown.

_Shower. I need a shower_ , Siwon thought to himself as he started to remove his sweaty shirt and shorts, opting to enter the adjacent bathroom in only his boxers.

Siwon was just about to grab the bathroom door when it swung open and a blur came rushing out towards his direction. He was unable to stop himself from falling on his butt.

"Oof!" Donghae groaned. Siwon grabbed on his waist to stop both of them from lying on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Siwon asked as he resisted to groan from Donghae's towel clad form rubbing on him.

Donghae gasped upon realizing their situation. He tried to stand, only to slide further into Siwon's bare shoulders.

"Breathe, Donghae-ah," Siwon said as he felt Donghae starting to panic.

Donghae exhaled loudly as he slowly disentangled himself from Siwon.

"Sorry, didn't expect you to be right outside the door." Donghae said as he secured the towel around his waist. He offered a hand to help Siwon stand up.

"Thanks," said Siwon.

  _Oh shit_ , Donghae thought, resisting the urge to ogle at Siwon's half-naked form.

"Sorry, I didn't notice you were already here. What's with the hurry?" Siwon asked.

"I went on autopilot after jogging and forgot to bring my clothes inside the bathroom." Donghae replied, fidgeting in his lack of clothes.

_Well, will you look at that,_ Siwon thought as he took notice of Donghae's towel-clad form.

"Oh." Siwon said out loud, snapping back to reality before he could say something else. "Well, I should take a shower then."

"S-Sure." Donghae replied, stepping aside to allow Siwon to pass.

Donghae shivered as he went to grab his clothes. For a minute there, he felt like Siwon was able to see through his towel. 

 

* * *

 

Siwon fidgeted on the backseat of Kangin's old Kia. 'Uncomfortable' doesn't even begin to describe his first trip in Kangin's car. It was cramped enough that he could see the beads of sweat running down Kangin's neck, along with every unhappy twitch of a muscle on Heechul's temple as Siwon's knees stab his back for the nth time. 

Siwon breathed thinly through the car's stale air and tried to keep up a happy appearance for Donghae's hyungs. If he were completely honest, he was annoyed at missing out on a precious night with Donghae--their days together, after all, were few and numbered. But Heechul had whined at Donghae to let Siwon join them for a boys' night out, and Donghae happily let Heechul drag him away to God knows where, without giving Siwon any chance to protest.

Heechul and Kangin's hushed, furtive conversation only aroused further suspicion.

"So. Where did you say we were going?" Siwon tried.

"Like I told you, it's a surpriiise," Heechul drawled. "Just a few more minutes, city brat! Trust me, suffering a ride in this scrappy tin box will be totally worth it." 

"Yah, Heechul-hyung! Watch your insults or you're walking!"

"Hah! Try me."

They continued to bicker up until Kangin rounded a corner in a narrow street, pulling up in front of one of the sorriest looking houses Siwon had ever seen. The exterior wall was made up of scrap metal patched together with a flimsy screen door and tinted windows. Siwon was certain the place was housing something illegal.

Heechul rolled his eyes. 'It's just a bar, idiot. Donghae-ah will never forgive us if we get you into trouble."

"It's... a very unusual looking bar."

"It's one of those trendy hipster bar types. Hardware store by day, swanky club by night." Heechul rapped at the door, the metal panels clanging at every knock. "Open up, losers! The party's here."

"Jeez. Loud as ever, Heechul-hyung," Baekhyun grunted, the screen door creaking as it swung open. 

Baekhyun paused at the sight of Siwon. He quickly gave Siwon a once-over, then grinned wolfishly. "You've finally brought good company!"

"Easy, Baekhyun. Siwonnie here is Donghae's boy, so he's off-limits," said Kangin sternly. 

"Boo," Baekhyun pouted. "Can't we even give him the usual welcome dance, Kangin-hyung?"

"Well, even the usual is a bit--"

"Fine! Absolutely fine," Heechul said loudly, pushing at the alarmed Kangin and the confused Siwon with a lecherous grin. "We'll be at the table over there, okay?"

"Okay~ Lucky you, hyung, Jongin's up tonight. No one gives a better welcome to EXOtique than that guy," Baekhyun winked. He blew Siwon a kiss before sashaying away.

"I said the exact opposite of this," Kangin whispered hotly. "I promised Jeongsu we're just having drinks. And no dancing!"

"God, Kangin. Has marriage sapped you of all sense of fun? This is why you and Fishy should never get married, Siwon-ah..."

But Siwon was only half-listening, his eyes fixed on the strobe-lined stage in front of him, blinking in time with the beat of some obscure Korean techno. A noisy crowd of males and females have already gathered at the front, whooping drunkenly during the brief lulls in between songs. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. 

"When you said trendy hipster bar, you really meant stripper club, didn't you," said Siwon.

Heechul grinned just as the lights dimmed and the music died down to a quiet thrum.

Siwon could feel the nervous anticipation rolling off the crowd in waves. The bass pulsed to life as a tall man with a lean build silkily waltzed up to the middle of the stage. It all looked innocent and typical, until a loud, fuzzy beat kicked in and the stage exploded with light, and the man is revealed to be wearing nothing but a gold-lined cap and a tight-fitting black jockstrap.

"Oh my God," breathed Siwon, his eyes the size of golf balls.

"Ladies and gentlemen, raise those bottles to EXOtique's club favourite ... the sexy, dirty-dancing, floor-scorching Kai!"

Kai needed no further introduction. He ground his hips to the music in sensuous figure-eights, occasionally thrusting a cheek left and right at fawning admirers as he danced further up front. His kohled eyes met Siwon's, and his lips spread into a shark-like grin. 

Siwon broke out in cold sweat. That smile definitely meant trouble.

Kai jumped off the stage, and the audience yelled excitedly and egged him on. Not once did Kai look away from Siwon, and like a sorcerer's spell, the intensity of his gaze tuned Siwon's limbs to stone. Even Kangin seemed to have frozen up beside him.

Kai stopped when he was within touching distance of Siwon's knees. With a naughty wink, he slid onto Siwon's parted thighs, arms braced on either side of Siwon's shoulders. He arched his back and ground down, rubbing himself against Siwon thoroughly, to the crowd's wild approval. Siwon wondered what a picture he must have made then, all bulging eyes and flaming ears, a helpless deer caught in sultry red strobelights.

He wasn't the only one thinking that, it seemed. Siwon saw a flash go off from the corner of his eye, making him turn away instinctively. Shit. He hoped to God that will not make the tabloids in the morning.

Perhaps sensing Siwon's distraction, Kai leant closer, his shallow breaths tickling the shell of Siwon's ear. "I heard you're a close friend of Donghae-hyung, Siwon-sshi," he whispered huskily. "Don't worry, this will just be our little secret..."

Kai planted a wet kiss on Siwon's cheek and slid off his lap, ending his dance on its most horrifyingly erotic note as he thrust his hips towards Siwon's face and twerked.

Laughing, Heechul leant over and stuck a few won into the tight garter of Kai's jockstrap, and slapped him lightly on a cheek. Kai turned around and stuck out a tongue, before waltzing back up on stage.

"Great show, huh?" Heechul said, clapping along with the crowd as Kai blew a farewell kiss. "Sheesh, who would've thought that kid would have it in him. He's an absolute saint most of the time."

"He used to be a scrawny little kid who begged me to let him bum around the shop," said Kangin. "God, I suddenly feel a hundred times older."

"Look at you talking about Jongin like a bunch of ajhussis," said Baekhyun, bottles of beer in hand. 

"That was Jongin?"

"Yep. Would you believe he's just 22? He's a natural, man. Though he did borrow a move or two from Donghae-hyung to spice up his routine. Like those little hip thrusts."

"Sorry, what?  _Donghae_ ?"

"Oh, haven't I told you?" Heechul said, his grin turning positively wicked. "Donghae-ah used to be Jongin-ah's dance instructor. Like student, like master, I would imagine."

Siwon did imagine. With a fitting reference of Donghae scantily clad in a towel from earlier that day.

And with the grace of a 15-year-old schoolboy on his first night out, Siwon promptly spilt his drink.

 

* * *

 

Siwon's wasted drink was quickly replaced with three, out of Heechul's obviously two-faced goodwill. He had counted on Kangin for support, but the older man had gone off to the bar, leaving Siwon entirely at Heechul's mercy. (Siwon couldn't blame Kangin. After Jongin's show, he badly wanted a bottle, himself.)

He had tried to fool Heechul by taking close-lipped sips at his beer, but Heechul was quick to catch on. He pulled his phone out and waved it at Siwon; Siwon stared back at a photo of himself grinning uncomfortably at the doll-faced Jongin as the man gave him an (admittedly excellent) lap dance. 

"No more tricks, Siwon-ah, or this lovely photo is going straight to Donghae." Heechul warned.

_If you can't beat 'em..._ Siwon sighed in resignation and took a swig of his beer. "You made it this hard for Kangin-hyung when he married Leeteuk, too?"

"Not really. I was more worried for Kangin-ah, to be honest." Heechul grinned ruefully. "Surely you understand me better than anyone, Siwon-ah, when I say I worry for Donghae a lot more."

"...I do," Siwon murmured. "That guy makes loving him too easy."

Siwon stiffened at his own words. Damn alcohol. His face probably mirrored Heechul's own surprise. 

"If it's that easy, how do you know my brother's not just a fling, hmm?" Heechul asked, his smile hardening.

Siwon swallowed nervously. "I've had my fair share of flings," he said, his eyes lowered in shame. "I had little time for romance while I chased success like a blinkered racehorse. But Donghae-ah made me realise I've been taking a few things for granted. Him included," he added with a grim smile.

Heechul sat back, the tension in his body visibly loosening, and Siwon knew then he said the right thing. "He's an attention whore, that brother of mine," said Heechul. "He doesn't like work getting in the way of personal time, especially with family and friends. It's annoying, and petty, but it's hard to stay mad at him for too long." Heechul smiled sadly. "Our dad was a massive workaholic. Must be why..."

Before Siwon could ask further, Heechul scoffed dismissively at the thought and grabbed a beer. "Chasing after success can only take you so far, Siwon-ah. Believe me," he firmly advised.

Siwon regarded Heechul's sombre shift in demeanour. "Sounds like there's a story behind that, hyung," he said.

Heechul smiled ruefully. "If you finish those beers, brat, I might just tell you."

 

* * *

 

In the end, Heechul never got to tell his story. Siwon had overcome his initial reservations and let loose with an impressive four bottles of beer, which lead to reckless drinking challenges with Heechul that he otherwise would have never made--one that quickly saw four bottles double to eight.

By the time Kangin returned, Heechul was slurring profanities at a peacefully dozing Siwon. "I should have known this boring bastard was a sleepy drunk, Kangin-ah," Heechul moaned.

"Okay, that's enough for tonight," Kangin said crossly. "As if we're not in enough trouble already."

Kangin dragged the men out of the club, muttering empty threats about leaving Heechul's drunk, irresponsible ass on the street. By the time they reached his car, Kangin was sweating like a teapot in a cosy, to Heechul's snorts of laughter.

Siwon, on the other hand, was in drunken oblivion. Heechul pulled him in beside him, and almost immediately, Siwon burrowed his head into Heechul's shoulder, a sigh that sounded like Donghae's name passing his lips.

"Aw, that's cute. Wasn't that cute?" Heechul giggled. "These brats have it so bad for each other!"

"I don't know if I should be happy that  _you're_ happy for them," Kangin muttered, sliding into the driver's seat. He jumped when a bright flash erupted from the back. "Yah, Heechul! What the hell?"

"Took a photo for Henry. He was asking how we were, earlier." said Heechul. " _Someone just had an EXOtique experience._ There..."

Heechul rolled his eyes at the look of disbelief on Kangin's face. "It's Henry! He won't tell on us!"

"Dunno," said Kangin. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Kangin was making the turn into the main road when Heechul suddenly swore, causing the surprised Kangin to jerk the wheel sideways. Siwon, still dead to the world, grunted irritably in his sleep. 

"What is it this time?!" Kangin said angrily.

"Uh." The grin on Heechul's face was completely gone. "I... may have sent the photo to the wrong person."

Kangin's face paled. "Oh God, no." 

"And..." Heechul bit his lip. "I may have sent the wrong photo..."

Kangin's phone rang a few seconds after, the ringtone unmistakably Leeteuk's. Sheer panic almost caused the older man to drive straight onto a wall.

Amid the chaos, Siwon slept on with a content smile, dreaming of a peaceful afternoon with nothing but a towel-clad Donghae in his lap.

 

* * *

 

Donghae growled as he made his way to Heechul's room. Of all the bars they could have gone to, he can't believe they took Siwon to EXOtique. He actually trusted Kangin to keep Heechul in check, but he should've known Heechul will still have his way. His only consolation was Kangin receiving an earful from Leeteuk for going along with the plan.

"HYUNG!" Donghae shouted as he burst into Heechul's room.

"Woaw there, brother. Not so loud, my head's kind of spinning," said Heechul, rolled up as a messy lump of sheets on the bed. "What's the rush?" 

Donghae took huge steps towards Heechul's bed, grabbed a pillow and started hitting his brother. "You. Took. Him. To. EXOtique. What. The. Hell?!"

"Stop. Hey, stop it! Donghae!" Heechul yelled, attempts to dodge Donghae's relentless pillow attacks in vain.

Donghae breathed deeply as he tried to calm down. Heechul quicky took the chance to roll out of Donghae's reach.

"Darn it. That idiot told you?" Heechul asked.

"He didn't need to. I heard Teukkie-hyung taking Kangin-hyung's ear off." Donghae replied, scowling. "Who else was there?"

Heechul smirked. "Jongin, as luck would have it. You taught him pretty well!" 

  _Of the bunch of them. It had to be him!_ Donghae sighed, ruffling his hair. 

"Next time, I'm joining you guys, whether you like it or not." Donghae threw the pillow aside and made his way to the door. "Go take a shower. We're meant to help setup for halbae's birthday," he added bossily, then stepped out and slammed the door behind him without as much as another glance at Heechul.

'Possessive fish is always amusing,' Heechul sniggered in triumph. He was in everyone's bad books again, but Heechul considered his test a definite success. At least he's proven that Siwon Choi, against all initial reservations, seemed to be the real deal.

 

* * *

 

For the upteenth time, Siwon fixed the top of his collared shirt, unable to stay calm at the thought of tonight's festivities.

The morning had been, needless to say, a disaster. Donghae got deathly quiet after learning that his hyungs brought him to EXOtique. After storming down from Heechul's room (and God knows what happened there), he called up a guy called Sehun; Siwon hoped, for the poor man's own good, that he wouldn't pick up.

He didn't. Unfortunately, he had voicemail. And after the beep, Donghae exploded. 

"YAH OH SEHUN! Tell that bestfriend of yours to keep his hands to himself, or I'm telling Kyungsoo!" 

Siwon shuddered at the memory. It seemed timid Donghae had temper issues as well.

"Siwon-ah, stop fidgeting." Donghae said as he approached Siwon. Siwon jumped a little in surprise, making Donghae laugh at him. 

Siwon pouted. "Easy for you to say. You didn't tell me the whole town is invited."

Donghae scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. It's a small town, Siwon-ah. Word gets around pretty quickly."

"Seems so." Siwon offered his arm to Donghae."Well, let's go meet your friends."

Donghae beamed and linked arms with Siwon, dragging him to the receiving area to greet some of the guests.

It was unlike any family party Siwon had ever attended. Parties at the Choi household were often subdued and boring affairs, filled with polite, stilted conversations, financial discussions, and tooting of horns. His aunts and uncles especially loved to make small talk about his future, if only to make their own achievements seem more significant.

Siwon would never have survived those miserable parties without Minho and Kyuhyun--the pair had to be credited for coming up with ingenious plans to escape them.

In contrast, halbae's party was mainly composed of strangers, but everyone knew each other like family. Siwon was mesmerised by how Donghae easily flitted in and out of conversations with genuine interest. Siwon wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes, if it had been him.

"I'm a bit jealous," said Siwon, as they settled in a quiet spot in the garden. "I've always had crap guests at my parties."

"Like I said, Mokpo's a small town. People here really only have each other to rely on, so we're all pretty tight," said Donghae. "In fact, a lot of these people helped our family through a bad time."

Siwon looked at Donghae seriously. "Are you talking about the time when your fathe--"

Siwon's question was drowned out by a loud cheer that suddenly rose from the crowd. Halbae had finally been spotted. Somehow, he had snuck in behind the buffet table unnoticed until Baekhyun saw him. The old man's face, as he was caught red-handed with a drink in hand, was certainly one to remember. Leeteuk and Henry immediately ran to his side, stern-faced and visibly unamused by his antics.

Siwon nudged Donghae gently. "Have you made up with your old man yet? I heard from Henry you had an argument the other day."

Donghae stiffened. He had not spoken to his grandfather since he walked out on him--purely down to the lack of chances, as they were kept busy by the preparations for the party.  Part of him, however, was happy to skirt the issue. The prospect of butting heads with his grandfather again was simply too hard for the heart. It wasn't just any argument, after all--it was an argument over Siwon. And despite the repercussions, it was an argument that he wasn't willing to concede.

"I'll take your silence as a no," said Siwon. Then added, more gently, "Go on, Donghae-ah. I'm sure halbae's over it. You're surely the best birthday gift he'll receive today. Besides, he's the reason we're here. We don't want this fine trip to go to waste, right?" Siwon winked.

Donghae sighed. "It's not that simple, Siwon-ah."

"Nor is it as complicated as you think." Siwon knocked Donghae's forehead with his fist. "He wouldn't send me after you that night if he never wanted to speak to you again, would he?" 

Donghae looked up at Siwon, wide-eyed. "He did what?"

"Henry asked me to go after you in the dance studio, for halbae." Siwon grinned. "I was pretty happy he did that, too. He's still got eyes on me like a hawk, but it certainly felt like he was beginning to trust me a bit more."

Siwon's smile faltered. "Though I'm not sure if he should."

Donghae shook his head, taking Siwon's hand. "You've been wonderful, Siwon-ah. Omma loves you already! And Leeteuk-hyung and Henry. Even Heechul too, in his own way."

_And me,_ Donghae almost let slip, mind racing back to their chaste kiss the other night. But Siwon had not brought it up, and Donghae was too afraid to do so. Siwon's words had given him a bit of courage to face his grandfather, at least. Donghae's face hardened with conviction. 

"Everyone likes Siwon-ah," said Donghae, "And I'm going to tell halbae exactly that."

Siwon squeezed Donghae's hand. "Nevermind what he thinks of me. As long as you two are talking again. That's all that matters."

Donghae nodded. Shyly, he pulled Siwon down to his height, and kissed him on the cheek. "Power-up charm," he whispered. "Thanks, Siwon-ah."

Donghae ran off to heart of the party, heartened by Siwon's show of support. 

Though the kiss left Siwon feeling a little weak in the knees. 

 

* * *

 

"What was that all about, halbae?" Leeteuk said sternly. "Everyone has been looking for you! Omma was worried sick!" 

"Even managed to grab a bottle of Soju for himself," Kangin murmured. "Pretty impressive."

"It's  _my_ party, isn't it? I can do what I want."

"This is really unlike you, halbae," said Henry worriedly. "You've looked forward to this party since Donghae said he was coming. Is there something wrong?"

Halbae's face visibly fell at the mention of Donghae's name. 

Heechul smirked knowingly. "Ohhh. So you two still haven't made up yet?"

"Hmph. It's that Siwon's fault for leaving his phone behind. And I was about to say something nice about him back then!"

"Don't pin this on Siwon, halbae. That's what you get for playing tricks on people."

"No. I'm partly to blame, too."

All the heads turned towards the door where Donghae stood, smiling nervously.

A moment of silence fell upon the room. Henry coughed. "We'll be outside," he said softly, grabbing his hyungs by the arm. 

Donghae's eyes fell to his feet as the door closed. He would probably be a little more bold if Siwon was here, but hurting his grandfather more than he thought weighed heavily on his heart. Halbae may have been wrong, but he had disrespected his grandfather. And there was no forgiving that.

"I wasn't thinking straight, halbae," said Donghae. "Siwon's a good person, and I thought he deserved a chance. So the idea of spying on him was..." Donghae bit his lip. "I'm really sorry."

"Bah. You and your father share the same penchant for drama."

Donghae looked up at his grandfather. The old man sported a crooked grin.

"This stubborn old man makes mistakes, too," said Halbae. "But I know when to admit them. Especially when it's causing my precious grandson so much pain."

"Halbae..."

"I hate to say it, but that Siwon reminds me of Seung Yeon, too," Halbae said, his nose crinkling. "Ambitious. Work-obsessed. A bit clumsy, especially when he was around your mother." He chuckled. "Silly boy. That's what love does to you, I guess."

Donghae's heart skipped at the four-letter word. 

Halbae smiled at Donghae warmly. "I trust my grandsons to be wise enough in their choices. But with your father gone, someone had to keep an eye out on  these Lee wannabes. See if they're worth it. After all, they are taking something precious away."

Donghae wiped at his moist eyes, laughing in relief. "You're doing a good job of it, halbae. Siwon-ah's tough at work, but it's the first time I've seen him so scared of someone."

"As he should be!" Halbae barked. He then opened his arms expectantly. "But enough about Siwon. Can you now come give your halbae his birthday present, Donghae-ah?"

Donghae didn't need to be told twice. He ran into the arms of his grandfather and gave him a tight embrace.

For Donghae, giving that gift was the best feeling in the world.

 

* * *

 

Siwon went out to the gardens to catch some fresh air. He met so many of Donghae's friends and acquaintances that he could barely remember any of their names. 

Strangely, he didn't feel as suffocated as he did compared to boarding the train to Mokpo, or taking the boat ride to Oedaldo. Having Donghae constantly at his side certainly helped.

He learned that Donghae was very well loved by everyone--not that he needed any confirmation. He already knew from their short stay that Donghae knew how to worm his way into anyone's heart, no matter how well guarded it is.

The sudden clinking of glasses brought Siwon out of his reverie. Eunhyuk stood in front of him, holding up two glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

"Hey Siwon-sshi!" Hyukjae greeted. "Care to join me for drinks?"

Siwon raised his eyebrows in wonder.

"I just wanted to talk," Eunhyuk explained as he waited for Siwon's go signal.

"...Sure." Siwon gestured to the empty space on the bench he was sitting on.

"I wanted to apologize." Eunhyuk started as he started pouring drinks into the empty glasses between them. "I may have acted like a jealous boyfriend, but believe me when I say I was just really concerned about Donghae."

"I know." Siwon answered somberly, taking a small sip of whiskey.

"You don't understand." Eunhyuk sighed. "I don't know if I should say this, but there was a time that I was in love with Donghae."

Siwon smiled gently. "I know, Hyukjae-sshi. Donghae told me you were together once."

Eunhyuk's eyes widened as he looked with mild shock at Siwon's direction. "You're not angry?"

"I won't deny I wasn't at first." Siwon replied, swirling his glass of whiskey. "But we're not children anymore and I can't be angry for something I have no control over. I didn't think a friendship with your ex-boyfriend will work , but somehow I think it works for you guys."

"Thank you, Siwon-sshi. Because I don't think I can lose him even as a friend." Eunhyuk replied.

"I don't think Donghae will allow it. Even if he loves me, I don't think Donghae will choose me over his family and friends." Siwon said.  _Not that I'd allow Donghae to choose me over his family, just for my selfish dreams,_ Siwon thought to himself as he took another sip of whiskey.

The two sat in silence as they let their small conversation sink in.

"Hyukjae-sshi, if I may ask?" Siwon started, the curiosity killing him.

"Please, call me Eunhyuk. I think after tonight, we can make Donghae happy by showing that we're now friends."

"Then please just call me Siwon." Siwon requested before continuing his question. "Why didn't you follow Donghae to Seoul?"

"I--" Eunhyuk started, taken by surprise at Siwon's question.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Siwon assured him.

Eunhyuk sighed, pouring more whiskey into their now empty glasses. "You must understand, Donghae became different after his father's death."

Eunhyuk mulled over his words before he continued. "Out of the three of them, Donghae was the closest to his father. But after his death, it seemed like the whole world stopped. He stopped talking and started distancing himself from everyone. Everything here reminded him of his father and that put a strain on our relationship."

Eunhyuk stopped to take a huge gulp of whiskey. "Later on, he found his father's book collection. He became obsessed with them, until he decided he wanted to move to Seoul to somewhat develop his writing."

"And you allowed him, just like that?" Siwon asked.

Eunhyuk shook his head. "For the first time in a long time, Donghae came to me for advice. And for a while, I wanted to tell him that the sadness will pass but it doesn't mean that his father will be forgotten. If I asked him to stay, I knew in my heart that he will, but it was unfair to hold him back, especially with his talent.  So I told him he should go, and that wherever he is, I will support him."

Eunhyuk gave a bitter smile as he stared into the night sky lost in memory. "The first year he was in Seoul, we were still together. We were in constant communication and every few weeks, he would come to visit Mokpo. Before the end of the year, he came to join your company. I remember he was very excited at the prospect of working for such a prestigious company. He wouldn't stop talking about it. But later on, as he started enjoying himself, he also started to forget about us. His calls significantly lessened. His daily texts became once a week, until he rarely did. I confronted him about this, but I guess the long distance really did take its toll on our relationship. I must have said a million hurtful things and eventually broke up with him." Eunhyuk paused as Siwon poured more whiskey into their glasses.

"Later on, I apologized for my behavior and he did too for cutting contact , but we decided to not get back together. He wanted to stay in Seoul and I am happy here in Mokpo. It took a while for us to rebuild our friendship but now, we're much closer than we ever were before. He calls every so often and that's enough for me." Eunhyuk finished.

"Thank you for sharing your story, Eunhyuk-ah." Siwon said.

"Donghae is special. He doesn't try much but once you've fallen into his charm , you can't stop." Eunhyuk said.

Siwon nodded, completely in agreement with Eunhyuk.

"The family was really excited when he said you'll be coming along for halbae's birthday. The fact that he visited the dance studio and made you a bracelet means going to all those places doesn't hurt as much anymore. Thank you for bringing him here , Siwon-ah." Eunhyuk said.

Siwon was rendered speechless when Eunhyuk started thanking him for things Donghae has started to do again upon his return. But why should Eunhyuk be thanking him when he's going to just rip everything apart by the lies he forced on Donghae? With that, Siwon downed the remaining whiskey.

"I'm going to head inside for a bit, Donghae might be looking for me." Siwon said as he excused himself.

"Sure, see you around Siwon-ah." Eunhyuk answered, waving a little cheerfully at Siwon's departing form.

Siwon hurried into the house;he greeted some of the visitors Donghae was able to introduce him to but didn't bother to stay for small talk. He rushed into their shared room and started throwing his clothes into his duffel bag in a hurry. He rummaged for his notebook and for a few minutes, Siwon scribbled a short message addressed to Donghae. He carefully set the letter on top of the neatly made bed. He removed his specially made bracelet and the box of rings from his bag, setting them on the bed as well.

Siwon threw a final glance at the room before softly closing the door, carrying his bag and everything that signified his brief stay at Donghae's house.

 

* * *

 

After excusing himself from halbae, Donghae was cornered by Sehun who kept bothering him about his threatening voicemail. The younger was asking for a clear explanation as he was unable to answer his phone during Donghae's raging fit.

Sehun found the story so funny, that when Jongin was on his way to approach him he happily announced his arrival. "Donghae-hyung, here comes the man of the hour, Kai."

Jongin, upon realizing that Sehun was talking to Donghae froze on the spot. He turned back, only to bump into Kyungsoo, who was right behind him.

"Yah! What the hell, Jongin?" Kyungsoo asked, as he sidestepped Jongin and moved forward.

Jongin, to his horror, watched Kyungsoo approach Donghae and his so-called best friend.

"Hey Donghae-hyung. Please tell halbae happy birthday!" Kyungsoo greeted.

Jongin made the mistake of looking at Donghae, who suddenly smirked.

"So, Kyungsoo--" Donghae started.

But before Donghae could even continue with whatever it was that he was about to say, Jongin pulled Kyungsoo to his side, causing him to stumble and spill his glass of wine all over Donghae's clean shirt.

"JONGIN!" Kyungsoo gasped in surprise.

"Oh look, there's Heechul-hyung. Let's head over there!" Jongin said without apologizing and forcefully dragged Kyungsoo to the opposite direction.

"Well." Donghae said, staring down at his now very wet shirt.

"Sorry, hyung." Sehun tried to muffle his giggles at the scene.

Donghae tsked at Sehun before excusing himself to change. Donghae looked around for Siwon among the crowd as he walked back to his room. He hasn't seen Siwon for a while now, and his nervousness only grew as he spotted his brothers, omma and halbae--but no sign of Siwon.

_Maybe he went to the room for some time off_   _,_ Donghae said to himself as he hurried back.

Donghae knocked before entering, not wanting to bump into Siwon and make a replay of yesterday's interesting (and rather bold) encounter. 

No Siwon in sight .

Sighing,  Donghae walked straight to his closet to look for a suitable party shirt. As he was about to unbutton his shirt, he spotted a box and some other items on top of his bed.

Donghae's eyes widened when he realized it was the bracelet he made for Siwon. 

He rushed over to the bed. A neatly folded letter lay beside the items. His heart thudding rapidly, Donghae picked it up and read the contents. 

Donghae's brain collapsed into a single thought:

_Oh, no._

Panic rising, Donghae made a quick once over around his room. Siwon's things were all gone.

The penny finally dropped. Donghae ran out of the room, his shirt askew and still  sopping  wet from Kyungsoo's wine.


	6. Chapter 6

  

 

_Donghae-ah,_

_By the time you read this letter, I'm probably on my way back to Seoul. I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I don't think I can do this anymore._

_I'm releasing you from our deal. You don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend any longer._

_I can't thank you enough for putting up with my selfishness. You have a wonderful family, and I don't want to put you again into a position where you have to defend me to them. You deserve better._

_I am returning to Seoul to explain to my father that we didn't work out. Don't worry, everything will return to its place when you come back. You will still receive your promotion--I have been planning to give it for some time, even before your Fashion Week assignment. No one deserves it more._

_I wish I could come visit again, but I will not be surprised if your family do not welcome me. Please tell them I am sorry and it was solely my fault._

_Thank you for the wonderful week, Donghae-ah. I will always treasure the time I spent with you. I was starting to wish, to believe in a few things where I shouldn't... but at one point we have to face reality._

_I'm sorry for forcing you into a lie I started. And I'm sorry if I don't have the courage to see it through the end._

_\- Choi Siwon_

 

* * *

  


 

Donghae was growing increasingly desperate as he failed to spot that one, familiar face. He had looked in the library, the shed, his workshop--but there was no sign of Siwon in any of them.

Upon rounding a corner, he spotted Eunhyuk laughing with Henry and some of their other friends. Anger violently bubbled up from his chest.

Donghae approachced the group in huge, aggressive strides, and said,  "Hyukjae, we need to talk." 

Eunhyuk and Henry's laughter died at the curtness of his tone. The pair exchanged worried glances.

"Is something wrong, Donghae-hyung?" Henry asked. 

Donghae glared at Eunhyuk, tugging him by the arm. "That's what I'm trying to find out."

Donghae roughly pulled Eunhyuk out of the crowd, not once sparing a look as Eunhyuk protested behind him, raging for an explanation. He dragged him inside one of the less crowded rooms, not wanting to further attract any unwanted attention.

"Okay, this has gone on too far," said Eunhyuk angrily as he pulled his arm free from Donghae's iron grip. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Siwon's gone."

All further protests died on Eunhyuk's lips.

"I saw you talking to Siwon," Donghae continued in a low voice. "What did you tell him?"

"W-what?" 

The confusion etched on Eunhyuk's face made Donghae snap. "Don't play dumb, Hyukjae!" Donghae roared. "WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?"

"Donghae-ah, Hyukjae-ah! That's enough!" 

Leeteuk swept into the room with an air of authority , Kangin, Heechul and a worried Henry on his tail.

"Henry-ah said you were fighting," said Kangin amicably. "Care to tell us what's it about?"

But Donghae only slumped bonelessly into a chair, the truth sinking in like a stake through the heart. "He's gone," he whispered.

"Eh? Who's gone?" Kangin coaxed, though he already had a gut-churning suspicion. A quick glance at Leeteuk told him his partner shared the same thought. 

"Siwon-ah. He's gone back to Seoul."

Heechul's face immediately darkened. "I'm going to kill that bastard--!" 

"Don't make this worse than it is, Heechul-ah," warned Leeteuk. He turned to Eunhyuk. "I saw you and Siwon talking before he went inside. Did he say anything about going somewhere?"

"N-no. We only talked about Donghae, then buried the hatchet," Eunhyuk said. "He asked about our past relationship, and I told him the truth. All I wanted was to thank him for bringing you back," he added to Donghae softly.

Donghae stared at him in disbelief. The guilt over his outburst bled into his cheeks, and he bowed his head, shame-faced.

Leeteuk sighed. He gently patted Donghae's hair. "Listen, Donghae-ah. We're not sure why Siwon did what he did, but it's times like these when you need to keep a cool head."

But Donghae found he couldn't, ever since he left Seoul with Siwon. The last few days had been an exhilirating blur, and he had carelessly let wishful thinking run with it. He remembered the night they kissed, the one that fuelled the unmitigated wildfire in his chest. Back then, he truly believed that despite their relationship's ridiculous beginning, that even if they were worlds apart--maybe, just maybe, they could take it a notch further.

Whatever it was that was unfolding between him and Siwon had just crashed and burned. 

It shouldn't come as a surpise, Donghae thought. If TV dramas taught him anything, it's stupid, arranged relationships like this are bound to fail. Siwon had generously given him a way out of the mess. That should finally be the end of it. 

Should.

But the fire wouldn't die. In his heart of hearts, Donghae  _believed_ that their little lie had become the truth.

Henry checked his phone. "The last train for Seoul just left a couple of minutes ago. But there's a morning train leaving at 5 AM." Henry smiled. "Gives you a bit of time to clear your head, hyung."

Heechul stepped forward, his arms crossed. "The last time I let someone take the train out of Mokpo, I never saw him again," he said. "I won't be able to live with myself if I let that happen to you, Fishy. So if you're not going after that idiot, I will. If only to drag his sorry ass back here to beg everyone in this room for mercy..."

Donghae snorted--he knew Heechul didn't make empty threats. "I'll go in the morning," he said, wiping at his wet eyes. "Knowing how Heechul-hyung is, he might get arrested..."

"What was that, you brat!" yelled Heechul, smacking Donghae upside the head.

Eunhyuk hugged Donghae tightly. "I'm a little jealous, but I want you to be happy more than anything." He grinned. "So go get 'im, Fishy."

Donghae nodded, his heart lightened by his family and best friend's support.

 

* * *

  


 

Kyuhyun groaned at the sound of his phone's hysterical beeping. He willed it to go away, but the annoying bastard, whoever it was, didn't hang up. With a resigned sigh, he reached for his phone and squinted at the screen. 

It was Siwon. Calling at the godforsaken hour of five in the morning.

"Hyung, the world had better be ending right now," Kyuhyun greeted sourly, "And even then I wouldn't want to be awake."

"What?" Siwon said gruffly, and Kyuhyun had to smirk at the confusion in his cousin's voice. "Oh, it's just 5 in the morning. Sorry, I lost track..."

"Where are you? Hang on, are you  _drunk_ ?"

"In the office. And no. Not yet, anyway. I'm on my second glass."

Kyuhyun frowned, suspicion tugging at his mind. "Office? Weren't you supposed to come back on Monday?"

"Yes, I was."

"With Donghae-hyung?"

Kyuhyun heard a sharp intake of breath. "Donghae's in Mokpo, Kyuhyun-ah," said Siwon softly.

The pieces began to slot together. It made Kyuhyun shoot up from bed.

"Yah, you did something stupid again!" Kyuhyun yelled.

Siwon remained silent on the other end, which Kyuhyun took as a definite yes.

''I'm coming over," muttered Kyuhyun, his mind now fully awake. "And I'll call Minho if you try to run away!"

Siwon chuckled weakly. "I'm not sure how talking about this would help, Kyu..."

It was the first time that Siwon sounded so helpless and defeated after a break-up. Even Kyuhyun started to feel a little sorry. 

"You sound like you need it, hyung," Kyuhyun gently insisted. "And it would be a bigger help than drinking, that's for sure."

 

* * *

  


 

Donghae anxiously bit his nails. As soon as he arrived in Seoul, he grabbed a taxi to SM Publishers with the hopes that the workaholic Siwon will return to the office, even though he wasn't expected until Monday. He had taken the earliest train out of Mokpo, and arrived in Seoul just in time for work on a typical Saturday. Some of their nosy officemates will be there, but Donghae wasn't bothered--all he really cared about at that point was to talk to Siwon. 

Halbae and omma had been suspicious of Siwon's absence, exacerbated by Donghae stammering his way through the explanation. But Leeteuk and Henry's poker-faced lying (how ever do they do it, Donghae wondered) convinced them that yes, Siwon had been called back for a work-related emergency, and that Donghae, too, was needed and will be leaving first thing tomorrow.

"Not without saying goodbye?" Hyangsook said, incredulous. "It seems so unlike him..."

"His father personally asked for him, omma," Donghae said through gritted teeth. "It can't be helped."

"But you two will come back soon, of course?" 

After a moment's hesitation, the only promise Donghae could make was: "I'll try my best."

Donghae tried to make himself presentable as he alighted the taxi. He greeted the guards quickly as he ran to catch the next empty elevator. Once inside, he resisted the urge to continue pressing the 7th floor button. It won't help him reach his destination faster, Donghae realised, but he needed something, anything, to help him burn off his nervous energy. 

He searched for his ID in the clutter of his duffel bag and barged into the office.

"Good morning--" Ryeowook's voice faltered at Donghae's unkempt appearance.  "--Donghae-sshi! What a surprise!" 

"Good morning, Ryeowook-ah." Donghae replied, trying to flatten his hair. "By any chance, is Siwon-a...I mean Siwon-sshi here?"

"Yup!" Ryeowook answered, eyeing Donghae curiously. "I'm really surprised both of you came to office today, I thought you both weren't coming back until Monday?"

"A-ah. Something came up." Donghae explained nervously. "But thanks, Ryeowook-ah. Catch up with you later."

Donghae made a hasty exit before Ryeowook asked further questions that might give away his weekend with the boss. He headed towards Siwon's office, his heart drowning out his colleagues and friends calling after him, his whole attention devoted to the task at hand.

"Ah, Donghae-sshi, welcome back. Anything I can do for you?" Sooyoung greeted as Donghae walked into the secretary's office.

"The boss in?" Donghae asked, preparing himself by trying to smooth the wrinkles from his attire.

"He's been there for quite some time, but I don't think he's ready to receive any guests. I can ask him?" Sooyoung offered, reaching for the telephone.

"No worries, I'm just going to ask him about something real quick." Donghae interrupted.

"B-but Siwon-sshi has an important meeting with Kyuhyun-sshi, and he's about to arrive any minute--" 

_Oh darn it_ , Donghae thought to himself, and barged into Siwon's office without waiting for Sooyoung's approval.

"Wait, D-Donghae-sshi!" Sooyoung shouted. 

But Donghae's mind was set, and nothing--certainly not Siwon himself--could stop him then.

 

* * *

  


 

Siwon sighed for the umpteenth time as he stared at the open document he was supposed to be reviewing. His mind was working on overdrive despite the lack of sleep, all of which was spent thinking about Lee Donghae. 

A loud cough broke into his train of thoughts. 

He sighed. Finally, his idiot cousin had arrived. "What the hell, Kyu? I thought you were coming over immediately. That was..." Siwon glanced at his watch. "...three hours ago! Where have you--" 

He looked up, and came face to face with Lee Donghae.

A fragile silence settled over the room as both Siwon and Donghae stared at each other. Siwon couldn't believe that the object of his restlessness was suddenly standing in front of him. Meanwhile, Donghae was at a loss on how to start questioning Siwon (who was still technically his boss) on his abrupt departure from Mokpo.

"What are you doing here, Donghae-sshi?" Siwon started, breaking the stifling silence. "Shouldn't you still be in Mokpo?"

_So it's back to Donghae-sshi._ He glared at Siwon. "Shouldn't  _you_ ?"

"Since you're back early, I know you've read my letter." Siwon replied, ignoring Donghae's snide remark. He rummaged through the papers in front of him. "I've explained everything there is to it."

Donghae shook his head in denial. How can anyone have a change of heart so easily?  

"Ah! Here it is," Siwon exclaimed nonchalantly, pulling out a familiar sheet of paper. It was Siwon's copy of the contract.

"As I mentioned, I am terminating all the terms I have set in this contract. Of course, the promotion still stands..."

"It's not about the promotion!" Donghae yelled shrilly.

Donghae's protests died  as Siwon tore his copy without so much as a hesitation. Donghae stared at the shreds of paper, shell-shocked, as Siwon chucked them into the bin. He felt his own heart was ripped into a million pieces.

"Well, that's over. Would there be anything else?" Siwon asked, raising his eyebrow at Donghae. He had put on his business face, the model of professional aloofness, which effectively masked any sort of emotion that would give away his real feelings for their situation.

Donghae could do nothing but gape at Siwon like a fish. Was their weekend in Mokpo just a figment of his imagination? The Siwon standing in front of him was not the Siwon he learnt to like. Maybe even fell in love with.

"Donghae-sshi?" Siwon called.

"Did Hyuk mention anything for you to change your mind?" Donghae asked, his voice shaking.

"Hyukjae-sshi merely told me how you came to Seoul." Siwon replied honestly.

"Then was it my family? Did Heechul-hyung threaten you?"

"No, nothing like that. Donghae-sshi. Please...let's just go back to how everything was the week before."

The first teardrop rolled down Donghae's tired face. "So that's it?" he whispered angrily.

"Yes." Siwon replied softly. "That's it."

Donghae snorted bitterly."You barge into my life and force me into this deal, you take me out on fake dates to make it a little better, you win over my family and friends, you nag me about my past which I otherwise would have never shared... only to leave me just like that? Like you didn't meet my brothers, omma and halbae? Like the week never happened, and all that we experienced together didn't matter?"

Donghae wiped the tears that now continuously flowed down his face, to no avail. "Tell me," he sobbed, "did you really hate me that much that you couldn't keep your end of the bargain?" 

Siwon looked away, his jaw tightening at the sight of Donghae's crying face. "Donghae-sshi, please don't make this harder--"

"You didn't even have the guts to tell me right in my face. You didn't even give me a chance to say my piece." 

Donghae angrily rummaged through his own bag. He pulled out his own copy of the contract and waved it in front of Siwon's stunned face. "Well, Siwon-sshi, I don't need your stupid promotion," he said, "I think I'm better off going back to Mokpo." 

Donghae tore his own copy of the contract with a vengeance and threw the shredded pieces in front of Siwon. He briskly walked towards the door, then turned towards Siwon slightly, his hand on the doorknob. 

"And to think, I was actually starting to fall in love with you." Donghae whispered, before slamming the door upon his exit.

 

* * *

  


 

Siwon stared at the closed door. Although Donghae left just like he wanted, their 'break-up' did not sit well with him. For the nth time since leaving Mokpo, Siwon wondered if he made the correct decision of ending the contract. 

He didn't quite hear what Donghae had said at the end, though Siwon felt it was something important. His gut urged him to chase after Donghae before it was too late.

"Fuck it." Siwon muttered, giving in to instincts.

With Sooyoung's help, Siwon found Donghae in his cubicle, packing his belongings hastily.

Siwon grabbed Donghae's arm and turned him towards him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"As you can see, I'm packing, Siwon-sshi." Donghae replied calmly, pulling his arm away from Siwon's grip. "It's better if we part ways for a while."

Siwon took a small step back, dithering over his next course of action. "Can't we go back to how things were last week?" He said desperately.

Donghae shook his head. "I'm sorry, Siwon-ah. I can't keep pretending, day in, day out, when I can still see your face everyday. I like you too much to not do anything about it." He looked back at Siwon and gave him a small, bitter smile.

_Like?_

Siwon gave a small gasp as Donghae's confession started to dawn on him. He really wasn't imagining things the first time he heard about Donghae actually liking him, and his stubborn self was ruining all chances of seeing it through. 

Before Donghae could walk away and out of his life completely, he gently pulled Donghae towards him, not leaving Donghae any chance to pull away as he wrapped an arm around Donghae's waist.

"Siwon-ah, what--?"

_I've done a lot of stupid things lately,_ thought Siwon.  _What's doing one more?_

So Siwon grabbed Donghae's chin and kissed him fiercely.

Donghae struggled for a few seconds, pushing and beating against Siwon's chest. But his protests gradually weakened, and ended completely when Siwon shifted his angle and deepened the kiss. 

The pair had been kissing for quite a while before Siwon finally pulled away. He leant his forehead against Donghae's, his hands gently caressing Donghae's face.

"I'm sorry." Siwon whispered, looking directly into Donghae's eyes. "I thought I was the only one falling for you." 

"You didn't even ask me about how I feel!" Donghae cried, weakly thumping Siwon's chest in anger.

"I'm sorry." Siwon repeated, as he felt Donghae's tears soak his shirt. "I like you too, Donghae-ah."

Siwon continued to murmur apologies into Donghae's ear as Donghae sobbed into his shirt. A few minutes later, Donghae finally calmed down, Siwon lightly caressing his back in comfort.

"What now?" Donghae asked, his voice muffled by Siwon's shirt.

Siwon broke away from the embrace and grinned at Donghae. "Go out with me? For real this time."

Donghae's face broke into a genuine smile, his eyes twinkling. "Okay." He replied.

Siwon couldn't help but smile himself, his head buzzing at the infectious look of happiness on Donghae's face. He leant in to kiss Donghae's forehead, then his nose, before finally kissing him on the lips again.

 

* * *

  


 

Kyuhyun was whistling to himself as he swiped his ID card and entered Devil. He was supposed to be there hours ago, but as soon as Siwon dropped the call he went back to bed to sleep for ten more minutes. He didn't wake up a few hours later.

He thought it was weird that Ryeowook was not in his usual place to welcome him. He was even more surprised at the multitude of people gathered round the corner. Near Donghae's cubicle, if he remembered correctly.

"Changminnie~" Kyuhyun greeted happily, spotting the familiar face of his bestfriend at the back of the crowd. "What's this commotion?" He asked, poking his friend playfully.

Changmin, who was carrying his trusty camera, grinned at Kyuhyun. "Oh you're here, what perfect timing! You will love this."

Kyuhyun raised a brow as Changmin dragged him through the crowd until they reached the front. Then did a double-take at what he saw. 

Siwon and Donghae were kissing.

Siwon did say he had broke up with him, though judging by the way the pair were wrapped around each other, that didn't seem to be the current case. In fact, Siwon and Donghae were so concentrated in their own world, that they remained blissfully unaware of the small crowd that had gathered and was not so discreetly whispering about their little spectacle. 

"I told you, you'll love this." Changmin said in glee, as he clicked a way with his camera. "Go get him, Siwon-hyung!"

Kyuhyun snickered at the amount of blackmail he could milk from this. It was a pity he didn't invite Minho--he thought he'd deal with a depressed Siwon first then call him if he couldn't resolve the issue.It seemed they would both be dealing with an obnoxiously happy Siwon for the next few weeks, instead.

Kyuhyun clapped his hands loudly after making sure Changmin had taken a month's worth of blackmail pictures. "Alright, break it up guys. Back to work!"

Siwon and Donghae pulled back in surprise. Donghae yelped upon seeing the crowd of grinning faces, and then Changmin, who was behind a  camera. He quickly hid behind Siwon, his face burning fiercely with embarrassment. They were witnessed by practically  _everyone_ who went to work that Saturday.

"Welcome back, Siwon-hyung!" Kyuhyun cheerfully greeted. Slowly, the crowd started to disperse, giggling and whispering about what they had witnessed. Changmin patted Siwon and Donghae's shoulders and waved goodbye, his camera tucked safely at his side.

"Yah! Cho Kyuhyun!" Siwon exclaimed, squeezing Donghae's hand which was clutching his shirt tightly. "What took you so long?"

"I overslept." Kyuhyun answered sheepishly. "Er, not that my services are needed any longer."

"Let's just head to my office first." Siwon said to Kyuhyun before facing Donghae. "Fix those first then follow us there, okay?"

Donghae nodded with a shy smile. Unable to help himsef, Siwon pecked his forehead one last time.

"It's not like you're not going to see each other later..." Kyuhyun muttered, shaking his head at the pair of them.

"Yah, Lee Donghae! You have a LOT of explaining to do!"

A furious Sungmin stood behind Kyuhyun, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed threateningly. Donghae threw Siwon a frightened glance.

Siwon swallowed nervously. "I think you spoke too soon, Kyu."

 

* * *

  


 

Choi Kiho stared at his son in the eye. "What's this letter supposed to mean, Siwon-ah?" He asked, Siwon's neatly folded letter held up between his fingers.

Siwon smiled wryly. "I think I made it clear enough, Abeoji."

" _'If the only way to inherit this company is through marriage, then I'd rather not inherit at all'_ ?" Kiho read out loud. "But I thought you and your subordinate were 'going steady for 3 months'?" He quoted with his fingers for emphasis.

"I wasn't exactly being honest," said Siwon, straight-faced. He had to stop himself from smiling maniacally at his father's gobsmacked expression.

"You... you're not dating Donghae-sshi?"

"I am." Kiho's frown deepened further. "Well, we've just started to."

Kiho scratched his head. "Your... relationship needs some time getting used to, son. But as long as you have someone..."

"I want to see how far we can take it, Abeoji," said Siwon seriously. "But bringing my inheritance into the picture only puts a massive burden on Donghae-ah's shoulders. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on him. Not anymore..."

Kiho leant back on his seat, silent, his lined face unreadable. Siwon felt he was drowning in the stifling tension. "You're willing to give up the company, for that boy's sake?" His father asked.

Siwon sucked in a breath. He knew there was no turning back from whatever he was going to say at that moment.

And so with dead certainty, Siwon said, "Yes."

Kiho let out the deep sigh he was holding in. "I trust Donghae-sshi knows full well what he's getting into. Being the partner of a CEO is just as difficult as being the CEO himself," he said. "Behind every great man is a woman and all that. Though, in your case, the woman is also a man..." Kiho's face froze. "Unless you're the woman in this relationship...?"

"What? No!" Siwon looked equally horrified. "There's no 'woman' in this relationship, abeoji!"

"Oh." Kiho shrugged. "You have to enlighten me, Siwon-ah. I do not completely understand how these relationships work."

"Neither do I." Siwon said numbly. He did not like the turn their conversation took,  _at all_ . He felt his stomach twisting in embarrassment. "Can we please now talk about something else?"

His father only smiled at his discomfort. "You both have to be strong. It's only going to get more difficult when I've handed the ownership of this company over to you."

Siwon looked up. "Pardon?"

"You're still going to take over Devil one day, of course." Kiho rolled his eyes. "And I genuinely hope, for everyone's sakes, that you will still have Donghae-sshi by your side. Minho-ah tells me this is the happiest he's seen you." Kiho patted his son's shoulder. "It's also the most agreeable you've ever been, he says."

Siwon scowled. "I'm going to give Minho hell," he promised.

"You should be thankful to your brother," said Kiho sternly. "He's helped me come to terms with you and Donghae-sshi."

His crinkled eyes softened. "But you've finally understood the hardest lesson I wanted to teach. That's all I want."

Siwon's heart swelled. The man before him was far removed from his image of the tyrant who got in the way of Siwon's life since the moment he crawled. At that moment, Siwon saw Choi Kiho as a father.

"I'm still learning, abeoji," said Siwon. He smiled fondly. "And I can't wait for Donghae-ah to teach me more."

 

* * *

  


 

**_One year later..._ **

 

Donghae pulled at the neck of his dress shirt, attempting to gain some relief from the stifling cream-coloured vest he wore on top of it. It really wasn't the best time to be wearing a suit, he thought sorely. It was early August; temperatures had been hitting 30°C the past days, and today felt particularly warmer than the last. 

But sweaty suit or no, he wouldn't miss today for the world. 

He wondered how it would feel to finally take that leap of commitment, after months of agonising whether it was finally the right time, or the right person; to stand before his family and friends with the love of his life, pledging uncertain tomorrows to the end. Would he feel fear? Relief? Happiness beyond reason?

_Guess we're about to find out,_ Donghae thought, breathing deeply.

"Nervous?" Siwon asked from behind him. He, too, wore a cream-coloured vest that matched Donghae's, though he had a black bow around his collar. A rose head peeked out from his breast pocket. 

"A little," said Donghae honestly. He smoothed down Siwon's collar for good measure. "You?"

"Not until I saw your face," Siwon whispered against Donghae's hair. "You look stunning, Donghae-ah."

"So do you," Donghae grinned. "So much for worrying about cream suits making you look fat."

"But they do," Siwon insisted. "Easier to see sweat stains on them, too..."

Donghae thumped Siwon's shoulder with a grimace. "That's gross, Siwonnie."

"You started it!"

A loud cough interrupted their bickering. Kyuhyun stood by the door, shaking his head, his face equally amused and exasperated. "If you're done, ladies, the ceremony's about to start in a few minutes."

"Alright." Siwon turned to Donghae with a cheeky, dimpled smile and held out an arm. "You ready?"

Donghae took the proffered arm without hesitation, and beamed at Siwon. "I always am."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! Hope everyone likes this chapter. We have one more to go! :DDD


	7. Chapter 7

_**EPILOGUE - One Year Later** _

 

Siwon stared at his phone and hesitated. 

This was stupid. He was the CEO of Korea's most successful entertainment magazine, the poster boy of Esquire and the Business Herald, the envy of all men with the world at his feet. Yet his emotional state had somehow regressed ten years, back to when he was a pathetic teenager grappling with his first experience of love.

 _Love._ The thought of it mortified him, but there it was, the image of a boy with smiling eyes and a head of messy hair, pulling him further down the beach...

Siwon eyed his phone again.

He had taken all the necessary precautions, instructed his secretary to shoo everyone away, to tell them he's busy and not to be disturbed unless they wanted a pink slip in the morning. He was safe within the confines of his office, surely. And he had no one else to ask about things like this.

So Siwon pulled up his browser, and typed in:

_How to propose to your boyfriend_

Google came up with several pages of answers. Siwon clicked the first link, where a poster called StrongHeart had written a long column entitled 'Top 10 Ways to Make Him Say Yes'.

It started off with,  _'As a relationship counsellor who has counselled dozens of couples about taking the next step, their stories have taught me many things...'_

Siwon found that credible enough. 

_"Marriage is a big step, and you want to be sure that you're taking that step for the right reasons. Marry because you've found someone that you honestly want to spend the rest of your life with--not because all your friends are getting married or because you are being pressured by people around you, and you think you need to."_

Siwon took out a small, leather notebook and took notes. At times, he found himself nodding along with StrongHeart's advice. Maybe he could shoot the man an e-mail and invite him to join Devil, he thought distractedly. This StrongHeart knew what he was talking about. And there were plenty of men out there with Siwon's problem (surely there were) who could use his help.

After an hour of reading through StrongHeart's marriage advice archives (he had finished 'Is It the Right Time?' and 'The Do's and Dont's of Planning your Wedding', and was halfway through 'In-Style Wedding Suits'), Siwon popped into the toilet for a piss. When he came out, Minho was sat on his chair, scrolling idly through his phone.

"Bullshit," he exclaimed. "Cream suits are  _not_ haute coutere! They just make you look fat!"

Siwon could only flap his mouth stupidly. "You."

Minho pointed at Siwon's phone. "What are you reading this guy for? He talks absolute shit!"

"I locked the damn door!"

"Oh please. Like that's stopped me before..."

"And I explicitly said no visitors!"

"Like that's stopped me, either," Minho said a little too happily. He waved the phone in Siwon's face. "So, what's this about wedding ideas?"

"I... am helping out with an employee's wedding," said Siwon a little too quickly. 

Minho raised an eyebrow. "You, helping out with a  _wedding_ ? How?"

"Er... helping out with the... wedding coverage?" Damn it. Siwon wanted to slap himself.

"With all due respect, hyung, the best help you can give this 'employee' of yours is a wedding bonus," said Minho. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with Ryeowook-hyung's wedding?"

"Of course not." Siwon replied quickly, earning a raised brow from Minho.

Siwon sometimes wondered if he was such an open book for Minho and Kyuhyun. They knew him so well, he didn't know whether he should be thankful or embarrassed at the amount of favors or blackmail they could easily ask from him.

Siwon would rather use one of those favors now than admit to his brother that witnessing Yesung and Ryeowook's wedding hit a spot in his heart. 

"So explain yourself properly, or I'm going to assume the best-case scenario possible."

"Oh no, please don't."

Minho waggled his eyebrows. "You're planning to propose to--"

Siwon slapped a hand over Minho's mouth. "Shut up!" he hissed. 

The younger Choi rolled his eyes. "No one's going to hear," he mumbled through Siwon's hand.

"No one's going to hear about it,  _ever._ " Siwon raised a pen threateningly between Minho's eyes. "Understand?"

Minho scoffed. "There's nothing to hear about anyway," he said, batting away the offending pen. "You don't even have a plan yet. If you did, you won't be taking notes from a guy who calls himself StrongHeart."

Siwon hated how smart his brother was, sometimes.

"More importantly, you should have called me," Minho added with a righteous pout. "I'd be more than happy to help you out."

"Yeah, help make things worse. Disastrous, the moment you inevitably tattle to Kyuhyun-ah."

"But I'll still help you out," Minho insisted.

Siwon rolled his eyes. "If you have no business here other than being a general nuisance, then go away, Minho. I have plenty of work to do."

"Grumpy," Minho muttered. He was about to reach for the doorknob when a thought struck him.

"Hey, isn't Donghae a huge soccer fan?"

Siwon frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"Strongheart-sshi said to use his hobbies." Minho beamed. "I think I know the perfect place and the perfect moment to pop the question..."

 

* * *

  

**_When you're plotting how to ask him, think about his hobbies and interests and use those as a way to make the proposal special. Not only does this show that he's important to you (since you are, after all, asking him to marry you), you're also showing that you pay attention to his interests, and that you support them._ **

 

Donghae was  _bouncing_ as they drove towards their destination. Siwon's sanity just barely survived Donghae's persistent interrogation about today, though he found Donghae's childish eagerness completely endearing.

Siwon only wished he could share the same enthusiasm for his own plan. He wondered, and not for the first time that week, if trusting Minho on this was the right thing to do. Siwon hoped his rusty soccer skills could save him.

When he made the turn into the car park beside Hyochang Stadium and Donghae's face brightened with awe, Siwon was reassured he had done the right thing. Even more so when Donghae let out an unmanly squeal as he pulled out a South Korea national team shirt with Lee Donghae, 9, emblazoned on its back.

"Are we going to watch a soccer match?" Donghae asked excitedly, taking Siwon's hand in his.

"You'll see," was Siwon's short reply.

They found Minho sitting on the bench, fully kitted out in his amateur football team's colours. Minho waved enthusiastically when he spotted them.

"Glad you could make it, Donghae-hyung," he said, grabbing both of his hands excitedly. "Equally glad you haven't chickened out on me, brother."

"Chickened out on what?" Donghae asked.

Siwon grinned tersely at him. "This idiot has talked me into playing a soccer match with his team. He wants to offer you a place in the team, too, if you like."

Donghae's eyes widened. "I... I couldn't possibly..."

"I have your full kit and gear prepared in the locker rooms, if you want to join in the madness," said Minho. "But it's totally cool if you want to pass. You can watch my brother make a complete tit of himself from the dugout."

Siwon scowled at him. "I can play football, you know."

"Well, yeah, you're not hopelessly bad, but you sure have your moments." Minho grinned. "Remember that time when you tried to scissor-kick the ball out of defence and ended up scoring an own goal?"

_"That never happened!"_

"Course it did. Cost us the three points, too, but nobody had the heart to be angry. It was the most beautiful own-goal any of us had ever seen..."

Donghae giggled as the two brothers immaturely stuck out tongues at each other. He wound his arm around Siwon's placatingly. "I'll take you up on the game, Minho-ah, though I might be a little rusty. I haven't played proper football since I left Mokpo."

"Not to worry, we've got Ronaldinho here to cover for you," said Minho, clapping his brother's shoulder. "Just needs a little reminder on where the correct goal end is from time to time."

"I'm sure Siwon-ah will find the back of the net this time," Donghae said sincerely. 

Siwon smiled back nervously. If only  _that_ was the biggest of his worries.

 

* * *

 

The plan was this:

The final whistle is blown, and they win the game comfortably at 2-0. Siwon, Donghae, Minho and his teammates celebrate on the pitch as the stadium announcer reads out the final score. "But let's hope there's more reason to celebrate in a few minutes," he adds.

On cue, a few supporters unfurl a huge banner from the stands. It reads:

 

**_Lee Donghae is a keeper_ **

 

And as the team and the fans cheer them on, Siwon pulls out the ring from his pocket, gets down on one knee, and seals the deal...

It was a pretty straightforward plan. Minho had gotten in touch with his fan group for the banner which, to Siwon's suprirse, was taken on with great enthusiasm. Siwon had personally called up the stadium staff, resulting to the most embarrassing 10-minute phone call of his life. 

It started off well. Siwon was deployed as a defender--his intimidating eyebrows made him the ultimate and imperious wall of defence, said Minho--but seeing Donghae a few feet away gave Siwon an extra boost of confidence. He made a few crucial interceptions, then almost scored a goal from a set-piece, heading the ball just a few feet wide off the post from Minho's cross. 

Even Minho was gobsmacked at Siwon's turn of form. "The power of love is amazing," he muttered to Siwon in disbelief at half-time.

Siwon, however, wasn't in the mood to gloat. All his attention was focused on visiting player no. 99--Minseok, if he remembered right--and on restraining himself from snapping the bastard's legs into two.

"He's been sneaking in little kicks and pushing Donghae since the game started!" said Siwon furiously. "I can't believe he's gotten away with all of it. He should at least have a yellow!"

"Football's a contact sport, hyung," said Minho warily. "Being physical is totally acceptable."

"He's on a mission to take Donghae  _out_ !"

"Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye out on 99." Minho squeezed his brother's arm. "Just--don't do anything rash, okay? Stick to the master plan, man."

The away team was trailing 1-0 at half-time, and when the second half started, they became more aggressive. Fouls were called left and right as the tussles grew more heated. Despite Minho's reassurance, Siwon kept a close eye on Minseok, who stalked Donghae at a distance too close for Siwon's comfort.

Siwon lobbed the ball to Minho, and watched as Minho cut through the defence with slick one-two passes with Donghae. Donghae ran into the box, his eye on the goal...

...Only to be brought down by a bruising tackle from Minseok that sent him rolling for a few feet. 

Players in red and blue shirts swarmed the referee as Donghae remained grounded, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his ankle. 

Siwon saw red. He stormed from the other end of the field and into the huddle in seconds. Minseok's face drained of colour at the sight of cold murder.

Siwon's arm instinctively rose for the punch, but Minho deftly caught him by the wrist. " _Don't_ , hyung," he warned.

_"Let me go, Minho."_

"You have to stay calm," said Minho reasonably. "We can't afford to lose a man in this game. And especially not you."

Siwon's eyes darted towards the worried fans on the stands, who came in expecting a good game and a little fun with Siwon and Minho's crazy plan. Siwon certainly can't let their effort go to waste.

He hated it when his brother was the reasonable one.

He pulled his hand back from Minho's grip and walked to Donghae's side, his heart hammering as the medic prodded at Donghae's ankle. The medic looked up at Siwon. "Seems like he's picked up a mild knock," he said. "Best to sub him off, to be on the safe side."

Donghae shook his head. "No! I'm playing on!"

"You're injured, Hae," said Siwon worriedly. "You need to have that properly checked."

"I've had worse injuries than this," said Donghae stubbornly. He stood up, brushing away help from his concerned teammates. He did  _look_ alright, but Siwon did not miss the slight wince Donghae made when he put a bit of weight on his injured foot.

Minho stepped forward. "Donghae-sshi, I agree with my brother on this one. I won't be able to live with myself if you get a permanent injury because of this game." He glanced at his brother. "In fact, I won't be able to  _live_ , period. Siwon-hyung will definitely kill me. So please have it checked, for my sake."

Donghae was still visibly hesitant, so Minho added, "You can come up to the dugout when it's over. We need your support. My brother's game today has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it's probably all down to you..."

"That's overdoing it," Siwon muttered.

Donghae smiled sadly. "I'll leave it to you, Minho-sshi, Siwonnie."

Siwon threw a dirty glare at Minseok, who was cowering behind his teammate.

They played on, and Minho scored a beautiful volley at the 75th minute, extending the home team's lead. Siwon's eyes were trained on Minseok as the man hovered by the left flank, seemingly more reluctant to bomb forward than the last hour.  _Good_ , Siwon thought.  _Let's see him try_ ...

The ball rolled forward and Minseok gave chase. Siwon was more than ready for him, and he charged forward to meet Minseok with a crunching tackle. Minseok tumbled and doubled over, clutching his shins with a groan.

The whistle rang, and the referee jogged towards them, notebook already in hand. Minho shook his head at Siwon before meeting the ref to reason with him, but the ref remained stone-faced.  He scribbled Siwon's name on the pad and pulled out a card from his pocket.

Siwon's heart dropped when he saw red.

Minho turned to him, defeated. "That's it for our plan, then."

Siwon walked off the pitch, his eyes trained on the ground, unable to meet the disappointed faces of fans and teammates alike. 

"Siwonnie," a soft voice called out. Siwon looked up and saw Donghae's worried face. 

Donghae saw everything. Well, shit.

"Sorry," he mumbled, and went straight down the tunnel.

His first proposal attempt was a disaster, and he had no one to blame but himself.

 

* * *

  

 

**_A place that is special to the two of you will be more impressive than the most romantic place in the world. If you take her to your favorite restaurant instead of the fanciest restaurant in town, or to the place where you first met or fell in love, the proposal will be much more special than if you picked a cookie cutter romantic destination._ **

 

Siwon resisted the urge to bug Yesung about his special order for--well, he lost count--and resorted to pacing his worries away. Yesung was Mouse Rabbit Cafe's owner and a renowned barista. Apparently, he was also someone who left phone numbers on coffee cups of boys he's taken a liking to. Donghae infamously got one. Siwon wondered if this was how he got Ryeowook, too. (Ryeowook would have fallen for it straight away, the sap.) The two are even married now, rekindling a lost romance once upon in time. Siwon had warmed up to Yesung considerably after ensuring that there was no competition between them to win Donghae's affection.

"Yah!" Yesung lightly smacked Siwon on the head. "Stay still, will you? You're making my head hurt."

Siwon, on instinct, raised an arm to hit Yesung back, but restrained himself. He focused his attention instead to the entrance of the cafe in the hopes that Donghae will arrive soon.

"You're no fun." Yesung continued, once Siwon calmed down for a bit. Siwon just waved him off.

After his first failed attempt, he decided to plan everything himself. Listening to Minho was a mistake; having Donghae almost seriously injured was not part of the plan. He wanted to surprise Donghae by taking him home to Mokpo, to the place they got to know each other. But just like his meddling brother, he didn't think Donghae's own family would allow him to do as he pleased--Heechul and Leeteuk would definitely never allow it. In the end, Siwon was left with no choice but initiate his plan in the place Donghae will least expect it.

Siwon unlocked his phone as he felt it vibrate in his pocket.

 

_Siwonnie, can you order me the classic burrito? I don't have much time for lunch as I'm running late with my deadline :( But I'm on my way down. See you in a bit! :3_

 

"Is Hae on his way?" Yesung asked, as he tried to look at Siwon's phone.

Siwon elbowed Yesung away from him. "He'll be here soon. Can you get him a classic burrito? Some waffles for me too. And the coffee."

"Aye Aye, Captain Choi!" Yesung saluted as he returned to the kitchen.

"Lucky bastard. Just cause he's married now," Siwon muttered as he typed a quick reply and waited calmly for Donghae. He resumed staring at the cafe entrance, turning the different possible scenarios over and over in his head. His chest tightened when his mind traitorously supplied images of heartbreak, of Donghae smiling sadly before saying--

He was jerked back to reality when he felt a hand against his forehead.

"Siwon-ah, are you sick?" Donghae asked worriedly.

Siwon quickly shook his head, forcing a smile at Donghae's concerned face. "I was just thinking of something." Siwon said, reassuring.

"You shouldn't have waited for me." Donghae continued, shrugging off his laptop bag and his jacket as he tried to make himself comfortable.

"Well, well, well. Not even five minutes in my shop and you're already acting lovey dovey with each other." Yesung greeted.

"Hyung!" Donghae said, blushing furiously.

"Here are your orders." Yesung continued, serving the couple their food.

Yesung chuckled as he left the couple. "Enjoy your meal."

Siwon and Donghae stared at each other after Yesung left. They have not seen each other for a few days now, Donghae being neck deep in a project proposal. It was a good shot at getting promoted to senior editor, and it was an opportunity Siwon would never deny him of.

"I'm sorry, I can't spend more than lunch time with you." Donghae finally said, breaking the silence.

"I thought we were going to celebrate your freedom?" Siwon asked.

"Revisions were sent this morning." Donghae replied exasperatedly. "And then the morning meeting got rescheduled this afternoon."

Siwon sighed. Maybe today wasn't the right time to execute his plan.

The couple was wrapped in awkward silence as Donghae munched on his food. Meanwhile, Siwon just picked at his waffles, caught in between wanting to surprise Donghae and leaving the plan to a later time.

"Are you sure you're not sick?" Donghae asked, breaking Siwon's internal dilemma. "Your mind's been wandering since I arrived."

Siwon smiled a little at Donghae's concern. "I'm fine, Donghae-ah. Just thinking too much, as usual."

Donghae raised a brow, daring Siwon to tell the truth.

"Okay,  I just miss you." Siwon said honestly.

Donghae blushed at that, almost choking on his burrito. "Yah! That's unfair, Siwonnie..."

Siwon chuckled, coming to the conclusion that he shouldn't add to Donghae's worries. He tried to gesture at Yesung to cancel his order, but the barista just winked and sent him a quick thumbs-up.

Seconds later, Yesung came back with two cups of hot coffee. Siwon tried to vehemently stop Yesung (to Donghae's bewilderment), shooing the man back to the counter with frantic flaps of the hands, but to no avail. Yesung only frowned at him and placed two cups of coffee on the table. 

Siwon did not miss the barista's encouraging note on his own cup: "Make your move, stallion!" He wanted to bury himself six feet under at that moment, safely away from the embarrassment.

Siwon glared at Donghae's cup. It seemed he will have to go with his plan unprepared.

"What's this?" Donghae asked, pointing to the cup of coffee.

"A little something for my favorite customer." Yesung said, ruffling Donghae's hair.

"Hyung, I can't possibly--!" Donghae protested but Yesung was already moving away from their table. 

"--I still have a meeting," he finished weakly.

Siwon took a sip of his coffee, almost spitting it back out after burning his tongue.

"Yah!" Donghae yelled in surprise, standing up to wipe Siwon with napkin. "Geez, why are you so out of it today?"

Siwon merely shook off Donghae, too embarrassed at his obvious absent-mindedness.

"Okay, something's up," said Donghae. "You are in for some explaining."

"Don't mind me, just... finish your coffee," said Siwon lamely.

"What do you--" Donghae trailed off when his watch started to beep. He glanced at the time and groaned. "Crap, I have to return now."

Siwon lifted his head in surprise. "Already?"

"I'm sorry." Donghae pouted as he took a sip of Yesung's steaming hot coffee. "Oh, that's delicious.  _A rgh_, I can't even enjoy this!"

"Tell them you're having a business meeting with me." Siwon said desperately, trying to stall more time for Donghae to finish his cup.

"Well, that would have worked." Donghae said and gave a small laugh. "If they didn't know we were dating."

"Damn it." Siwon cursed. There was no time.  

Without thinking, he stood up to confess his feelings and his intentions.

But before Siwon could even come up with a good speech, Donghae stood up as well and headed towards the counter, his coffee in tow. Donghae pouted at the cafe owner.

"You can't take it out." Yesung said exasperatedly at Donghae, giving Siwon a furtive glance.

"Hyung! I can't waste such good coffee." Donghae explained, almost acting like a child throwing a tantrum.

 "You." Yesung pointed at Siwon. " _Stop your boyfriend!_ "

Donghae huffed, reached over the counter and into the staff area with the agility of someone who was going to be late to an important meeting, grabbed a takeout cup and poured his drink.

Yesung and Siwon merely stared at Donghae in shock, the former gaping at Donghae for disregarding him just like that.

"YAH, DONGHAE-AH!" Yesung snapped out.

"Sorry, hyung. Promise I'll make it up to you after this meeting." Donghae said as he pulled Siwon back to their table. Donghae grabbed his laptop bag and his jacket before turning to Siwon, cupping his face. 

"I'm sorry for ditching you again, Siwon-ah. I'll make sure this will be over today. I'll pay you back for lunch, too." Donghae gently pushed Siwon to his seat. "Now finish your cup. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Donghae smiled and kissed an unprepared Siwon on the lips. "Thanks for the coffee," He whispered, and made his way out of the cafe.

Siwon could only gape at Donghae's retreating back, then at the discarded mug on the counter. At the bottom of the mug, the words  _Will you marry me?_ should be visible. Siwon thought it would make for a nice, ingenious surpise, but Donghae had been too busy to notice. 

_Too busy_ . It was poetic justice, almost, for all the times he didn't pay Donghae enough attention because of work.

"Sorry, Siwon-ah," said Yesung quietly. "These things take time. But patience reaps rewards, like they say." He raised a cup. "So hang in there, stallion!"

But Siwon only sunk further into his chair, sighing at yet another failed attempt.

 

* * *

 

_**Opt for a change of scenery...** _

 

With a surprise picnic at Yeouido Park. At least that was the plan, until the sky broke down on him with a raging downpour.

Siwon was out of plans, really. Weeks of careful planning and failed execution had made him sullen and insecure. (He was starting to believe that StrongHeart, as Minho said, was full of shit.) He knew Donghae was close to losing his patience with him, but Siwon couldn't bring himself to utter the million dollar question without the whole she-bang. He was only going to do it once, and he's going to do it right.

Currently, Siwon was lounging by the kitchen with a cup of coffee, twiddling with the Piaget box containing the rings he bought for Donghae and himself. Donghae was still holed up in his room, probably still knocked out and dead to the world, as it was the first Saturday he finally had for himself after all the work he's been doing the past few weekends. Siwon didn't bother waking him. Donghae needed the rest. He was also supposed to pack their food and blankets for the picnic then, only to be disappointed when the weather took a turn for the worse.

Siwon sighed. Watching the torrential rain dampened his mood more than ever.

Siwon heard the faint rustle of movement and quickly crossed the kitchen to hide the box in one of the many drawers he knew Donghae wouldn't be opening any time soon.

"Wonnie?" Donghae called as he entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes to awareness.

"Morning, Hae." Siwon greeted, smiling at the adorable and sexy image of his boyfriend.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Donghae asked, stifling a yawn as he pulled a chair and sat himself by the kitchen counter.

Siwon grabbed an empty cup and poured Donghae some coffee. "You were tired and needed the rest."

"But, it's the first weekend that we're both not entirely busy."

"I know, but I want your whole attention, and not sleep on me midway through our conversation." Siwon replied. "Anyway, the rain is too heavy to do anything. Looks like we have to stay in."

Donghae padded softly towards the living room, and Siwon followed like a puppy. He carefully set his coffee on the small table and sat on the couch. Siwon immediately followed suit, throwing an arm around his boyfriend, making himself comfortable as Donghae snuggled closer.

Siwon was fast becoming used to lazy, comfortable silences like this. He stroked Donghae's back slowly, almost lulling him to sleep again.

"Hmm, staying indoors doesn't seem so bad." Donghae mumbled sleepily.

"There's still plenty of time before I need to prepare for lunch." Siwon said. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"Yah!" Donghae blushed, hitting Siwon softly on the chest.

Siwon blushed as well, realizing the hidden meeting. "To let you sleep more, pabo." He added, flicking Donghae on the forehead.

"You're coking for me now?" Donghae asked teasingly.

"You'll love it." Siwon replied.

"We'll see." Donghae said, raising his brow. He paused as something under the coffee table caught his eye. He reached under the table and pulled out a box of Scrabble. He cocked his head inquiringly.

Siwon chuckled. "I usually play with Minho and Kyuhyun when they come over."

"Of course. A game that has something to do with words. How fitting." Donghae said, opening the box and setting up the game.

"You want to play?" Siwon asked surprised.

"Wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe I can join you guys next time." Donghae said.

Siwon smiled at the thought. Donghae has been spending more time at his apartment, and Siwon realized how much he missed living with another person, especially whenever he wakes up to Donghae's presence. How adorable he is snuggling to his side and hogging most of the bedspace. Those simple but precious moments of cooking together; of cleaning up their apartment together, only to make a right mess of it afterwards...

Kyuhyun jokingly called it marital bliss. It was definitely blissful even if it was a domestic routine. But there was that problem of marriage on hand...

They started out slow, practicing their vocabulary, until Donghae formed the word  **LOVE** and winked at Siwon.

And just like that, an impromptu idea formed in Siwon's head. The picnic he planned for that day may not have happened because of the rainy weather. It seemed like even Donghae was giving a sign by making that turn.

With his plan in mind, Siwon collected the words to form the ever elusive question. He already had a W, Y, R and some vowels. He only needed to place them properly on the board.

At Siwon's turn, he decided to form the easiest without giving a way the rest of his plan. He spelled out  **YOU** and finished his turn.

"Are you sure that's it?" Donghae asked, confused.

"It's your turn now, Donghae-ah." Siwon answered, trying to keep his face neutral and not give away how much he was excited to finally succeed on his plan.

Donghae made a few more turns. Siwon almost had a mini heart attack when Donghae almost placed some letters on the word  **WILL,** before deciding he had other better options.

"You're not making me win, are you?" Donghae asked, raising a brow after Siwon made a couple of poorly placed words.

"Of course not." Siwon argued. Damn. He just needed another R and this will be finally over.

Siwon wanted to kiss Donghae right then and there when he spelled  **OTTER.** The space above and below it was still blank. He drew a new letter and almost danced with joy when he picked the letter Y.

"Someone's excited," Donghae giggled upon seeing Siwon's attentive state.

"Wait right here," Siwon said. "Don't look at my letters!"

"As if." Donghae replied competitively.

Siwon almost ran into the kitchen to grab the box of rings. He smiled widely. Finally, it was time. 

He slid the box into his pocket and walked back into the living room. He picked the relevant letters and formed the word  **MARRY** on the board.

Donghae stared at the board in silence, his heart picking up pace. But it wasn't wise to assume anything...

Siwon turned his letter rack towards Donghae and placed it beside "marry". His last letters spelled out the word  **ME** .

"You've been asking me why I've been so out of it the past few days." Siwon grinned apologetically at Donghae's surprised face. "The truth is, I've been planning several times on how to ask you this question."

"I've waited for the perfect moment for this, but every single time, it just wasn't happening for one reason or another." Siwon took the box from his pocket and flipped it open. "But you're here now, and even if we're both in our pajamas trying to keep warm from the crappy weather, I feel like this is the perfect moment."

Donghae's face had turned a bright shade of red, but his expression betrayed disbelief and confusion. Siwon pressed on.

"Our relationship didn't start the right way but being with you this past year has been amazing. And I don't want it any other way, even in the future."

Ever the gentleman, Siwon knelt in front of Donghae. "So Hae-ah, will you marry me?"

Donghae opened and closed his mouth, staring blankly at Siwon.

"Say something, please." Siwon said, caressing Donghae's hand.

"I--yes." Donghae replied softly. "Oh God, yes, Siwon-ah!" Donghae repeated with conviction before throwing himself towards Siwon.

"Thank God." Siwon chuckled, his voice shaking with relief. "This was almost as bad as that time when I first confessed..."

"Pabo! I thought you were about to break up with me." Donghae said as he hugged Siwon tighter.

"I would never." Siwon said. He cupped Donghae's face, tenderly brushing his cheek with a thumb.  "I love you."

"I love you too." Donghae whispered.

Siwon plucked out one of the rings from the box--a simple silver band with a small crystal embedded in the middle. He slipped the ring into Donghae's finger -- it was a perfect fit.

"They're beautiful. Thank you, Siwon-ah." Donghae said. His lip quirking up naughtily, he added, "Now come here and give me a kiss."

Siwon smiled brightly before indulging his fiance to finally seal the deal -- for real, this time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We made it! Thank you for reading. Please stay tuned for our new stories but prolly not any time soon. See you on our next adventure. Ciao :3


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